Follow The Leader
by JJCM
Summary: While in Oklahoma, one case becomes two pushing both JJ and Spencer to the limit. As hours turn to days, will they both be able to overcome the individual challenges they must face? Or will the darkness claim them both?
1. Prologue

**AN: I'm back. This is my next JJ/Reid story and the plan is to make it epic. It's certainly the longest story I've ever written and I'm not quite done with it yet. I've been working on this for a while, but I'm still making changes and adding things. This story WILL be rated M in the future for a variety of reasons. I am mentioning this now so that anyone who doesn't read that sort of thing can be forewarned and not become too attached to this story. Updates should come once a week for a while, and then more frequently after that. Here we go.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters. Any original characters are purely fictional and have no relation to names/places in the real world. **

JJ sighed, looking up from her PDA to glance out the window and into the dark night. The flat, unimpressive land whizzed by in a blur, the driver of the SUV racing down the dark road as he tried to make good time on their way back to the station.

JJ had considered driving, but she was feeling particularly tired after an early morning flight and two days worth of long hours as they tried to catch this particular unsub. That was why when the young sheriff's deputy who had accompanied her, Allen Brewer, offered to drive back, JJ had handed him the keys without much of a fuss. He knew the terrain better than she did, and JJ was feeling particularly frustrated after their interview with the latest victim's parents had gone nowhere.

It was a long drive back, but the blare of soft country music from the radio helped ease her mood slightly. Neither she nor Allen had said much. Most of their small talk had been taken care of during the drive to Juanita Suarez's parent's house out in the rural countryside. Now, they mostly remained quiet, both tired, both focused on getting back so they could grab some quick rest before putting in what was sure to be another day filled with long hours.

JJ breathed in a deep breath, tearing her eyes away from the blurry blackness outside the window, and back inside the warm cab of the SUV. She sneaked a glance towards Brewer, his face a blank stare, his mind somewhere else as he sped down the road.

JJ took the stolen moment to glance over the young man's features. He had short jet black hair, high cheek bones, and a sharp-edged jaw. He was muscled as one would expect, but not overly buff. He was actually pretty cute. Good thing she was already seeing someone though.

She had caught Brewer looking her over a couple of times over the previous day, and although JJ let it slide, she knew if she were single and bold like some of her friends, she could easily have the sheriff's deputy in the palm of her hand. Instead she turned away, glancing back down to her PDA as she reminded herself of how happy she was with her current personal life. The last thing she needed was to mess things up in a sudden moment of lust. That wasn't her anyway.

JJ's fingers quickly typed a message to the man waiting for her, letting him know they were on the way back and should be at the station within the hour. She knew he'd be worried. It was late, it was dark, and the rural areas of Oklahoma, while desolate, still presented their own potential dangers.

She hoped that he would just go to bed, let his mind rest and put his stressed out body at ease for a few hours, but she knew better. As long as she was out there, away from him, he would force himself to stay awake until her return. His mind wouldn't allow any other option.

JJ unconsciously sighed again, internally imploring the ride back to hurry up and be over already.

"Everything ok Agent Jareau?" Brewer asked as he glanced over towards her, a look of concern on his face.

JJ turned to him, their eyes briefly meeting before he tore them away, back to the road.

"Yeah everything's fine." She said rather shortly.

Brewer didn't say anything. After another moment of what felt like awkward silence to JJ, she felt the need to apologize to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to be so abrupt with you. I'm just tired, and this ride seems long, especially with so little to distract me." She explained calmly.

"Hey, you don't need to apologize to me, trust me I know. I'd go faster than we are now if I thought it'd be to our benefit. We have to be careful though, roads like these you never know when some animal or something will jump out into the path. Not a lot of help if you get in trouble out here." He responded, his words more of a foreboding than either of them knew.

"I wouldn't expect so." JJ replied grimly.

She looked down at her PDA, waiting impatiently for a response to her text. The device was the only real thing to distract her at the moment. She could review more of the case if she so chose, but that was really the last thing she wanted to do right before bed. She was trying to relax a little and the back and forth chit chat with her man would serve as the perfect escape for her at the moment.

More time passed, and JJ looked back out the window into the pitch black. Her mind began to drift a little, to warmer images of being home, snuggled in her nice warm bed surrounded by blankets. As she closed her eyes in an attempt to make the image more real, the SUV suddenly jolted and a loud bang startled them both.

"What the hell was that?" JJ's eyes shot open as Brewer struggled to keep the SUV from swerving off the road.

"Feels like a flat." He grumbled as he regained control and slowly brought the vehicle to a stop.

"You're kidding, right?" JJ turned to him, her voice exhausted and filled with frustration.

"I'm afraid not, I don't think. I'm going to go and check it out if it is a flat I'll change it, there should be a spare in the back." He replied as he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his driver's side door.

'_Please God let there be a spare.'_ JJ pleaded internally. Being stuck out here, alone with Brewer in this dark, vast, secluded area was one of the last things JJ wanted right now.

"Do you want me to call someone?" She asked politely as her thumb instinctively found her PDA once more.

"I don't think that'll be necessary. If we have a spare then we're all set and I'll have us back on the road in a couple of minutes. Just sit tight." He told her before closing the door, leaving JJ alone in the warm, lit, safeness of the SUV.

JJ's fingers found her previous conversation and typed another text, letting him know she would be a few more minutes at least because they had sustained a flat tire. She felt a rush of impatience running through her as he still hadn't replied to her previous message.

'_You're just stressed, and nervous, and tired. Calm down.' _She told herself.

The back hatch of the SUV opened up and a rush of cool air flew in, causing JJ to shiver slightly. Brewer lifted the bottom floor of the trunk and dug out the spare that was buried underneath.

"Our back driver's side tire is flat. The good news is we have a spare, we should be good." Brewer reassured her as he rolled out the spare.

"Ok, thank god." JJ called over her shoulder.

The hatch slammed shut, and again she found herself alone in the SUV. JJ glanced back down to her PDA, now willing it to flash to inform her that she had a new message. When nothing came, she groaned out loud into the emptiness of the cab.

After another moment JJ sat upright in her seat, straining to look into the rearview mirror. She couldn't see much besides darkness, and a small bit of light near the rear tire, likely emanating from Brewer's flashlight.

JJ sighed as she sat back. She felt jittery. She was having trouble calming her nerves. She kept telling herself everything was fine, but as more time passed, her discomfort only grew. Everything was quiet, too quiet.

She sat forward again, looking back to the mirror and wondering what the hell was taking Brewer so long. JJ jumped when she saw a figure standing, only his legs being dully lit by the flashlight near the deflated tire.

'_Was that Brewer? It was hard to tell, it didn't really look like him.'_ JJ took a deep breath, her heart beginning to thump loudly in her chest. Her hand instinctively went to her hip, her fingers tracing over the cool, heavy metal of her hand gun.

She didn't want to go out there. She _really_ didn't want to go out there. She didn't want to leave the vivid, warm comfort of the SUV for the dark, cold unknown of the outside.

JJ took another breath, reminding herself that there was a chance, hopefully only a small chance, that Brewer might need her help.

Slowly, she brought her hand to the handle of her door and turned it until the door hinges turned. She made sure to open it only a crack, not that it would really matter if they actually were in peril, after all, they weren't going anywhere with a flat tire.

"Everything ok out there Brewer?" She called out evenly, her voice cracking just the slightest bit.

She waited a moment, but was met with silence, her worst fear. She slowly opened the door a little more, dangling her leg towards the ground, as she prayed Brewer had simply not heard her.

"Brewer, how's it going?" She called out again, now stepping out of the SUV and un-holstering her gun.

Again, there was silence. This wasn't good, something was wrong. Even worse, if he was in trouble, she had just alerted whoever was around of her presence, _twice._ JJ tried to keep control of her emotions. Her senses were now on high alert as she slowly made her way to the back of the SUV, gun drawn. She tried to ignore the chill of the air as it blew strands of her hair. A distant howl pierced the otherwise silent air, sounding a lot closer to her than it likely was.

JJ cursed under her breath at the situation she now found herself in. If Brewer was ok and she found she was simply overreacting, then she was going to smack him for not answering her calls.

She was almost to the rear of the SUV, the gravel crunching under her boots, when she thought she heard a noise behind her. Startled, she whipped around quick, only to find nothing.

It was too dark; she was at such a disadvantage. The only light in this cold night was from the headlights shining fifty feet down the road, and the flashlight near the flat tire. Everything else was simply black. She wasn't one to be scared of the dark, but the fear of the unknown had her shaking just a bit.

JJ thought about calling out to Brewer again, worried that in her heightened state she might accidently shoot him, but if there was impending danger she couldn't risk it.

Satisfied that nothing was behind her, JJ turned back around and proceeded on her current path.

A couple of feet from the hatch of the SUV, she froze again.

Her eyes focused on something about a hundred feet behind their vehicle. It was hard to make out, but JJ was pretty confident in what she thought she saw. It was another SUV parked off to the side of the road, partially hidden behind a rock and conspicuously blending into the dark.

JJ's heart skipped another beat. Carefully, she took another step forward. She could call for help, but her PDA was long forgotten, her brain too focused on the potential threat. She reached the end of their SUV and pressed her body close, using it as an attempt to shield herself from a possible attack from the other side.

Slowly, she peered around, gun raised. When she didn't see anything, she looked down. On the ground was a pair of familiar legs, the mostly hidden body laid out on the road.

'Shit!' JJ cursed just as she heard quick footfalls pounding through the gravel, rushing towards her.

She turned quick, firing a shot into the darkness just as she was tackled from behind.

"Ah…!" She cried out as her body was slammed to the ground, her gun jostled loose.

JJ immediately tried to fight back, but it was futile. The heavy weight on top of her body pushed her into the asphalt, face down. She tried desperately to kick up, but it was no use. She tried to stretch her arms forward, reaching for her a gun a mere couple feet from her reach as she grunted. Strong arms grabbed hers and forced them back, pinning them to her body.

"Let go of me!" She shouted as her face was pushed to the ground.

She continued to fight, trying everything she could to buck the weight off of her. Painfully her hair was pulled, lifting her head from the ground. JJ could see from the corner of her eye a large gloved hand approaching, ready to strike her face. She closed her eyes, preparing for the painful contact, but it never came.

"Don't! You know he'll be pissed if you mark her up." A man's voice said from the darkness.

"Well hurry up with the needle then!" Another voice yelled, this one also belonging to a man, the man who was currently on top of her.

JJ strained her neck, trying her hardest to get a good look at her attackers. She could just make out partial features of the man on top of her, but it wouldn't be enough to make a positive ID.

JJ flinched and doubled her efforts to break free when she felt the man on top of her move her hair to the side and pull back on the collar to her jacket and blouse.

"Don't, please, you don't want to do this. I'm a federal agent." She tried to reason.

"I know." The man said coldly, watching as his partner prepared the syringe.

"You're making a big mistake." She tried, the man's grip on her collar never wavering as he held her in place.

"Trust me, we know what we're doing. You'd be wise to keep quiet." He warned as his partner handed him the now-ready needle.

JJ could sense the needle being brought down to the back of her neck. She didn't want to beg, but in her fear and desperation, she couldn't stop herself.

"Please, no, no, no!" She yelled out as she felt the needle break through her skin and the contents of the needle empty into her.

The man pushed down hard, making sure every last drop was emptied inside of her until he pulled the needle back out, handing it to his partner.

At first JJ didn't feel any different, but her heart was racing, her body stressed as she went through all the possibilities of what they could have just injected her with.

"Someone help me!" She yelled out into the empty air.

This earned a chuckle from the man on top of her.

"Do you think we should gag her?" The second man asked, stepping in front of her to pick up her gun from the ground. He looked to be in his thirties, but again she couldn't pick him out of a line-up if she had to.

"No, she should be fine. The sedative will keep her quiet once it makes its way through her system. Just grab the case and make it quick, I'm not sure how much time we have." The deep voice on top of her answered.

JJ's heart dropped a little. They had given her a sedative. She supposed it was better than some of the other potential options, but it also told her these men had every intention of kidnapping her. There was no other explanation. JJ watched as the second man's feet disappeared into the darkness, in the direction of the partially hidden SUV.

Everything was still as JJ began to feel herself getting tired, her limbs becoming weak. She could still hear that same howl in the distance, but now it seemed farther away. Her labored breathing tuned out some of the other sounds around her.

She was still painfully aware of the man pressed firmly against her. He had since let go of her collar, and now held her wrists behind her back in one of his firm, latex covered hands. His free hand ran through her hair, brushing it gently out of her face. JJ told her body to move away from the contact, but she found it nonresponsive, she was frozen.

Her dazed blue eyes focused on the body lying across from her on the other side of the SUV. This was her first real look at Brewer. He was laid out on the road, unconscious, blood trickling to the ground beside him as a result of a head wound. The light from the flashlight illuminated his body, and JJ could just make out his chest rising and falling, telling her that he was indeed still alive.

She was brought back to her current situation by the feel of the man's latex fingers lightly stroking her numbing cheek. She could feel his hand through the pressure on her skin, but she couldn't feel it through actual touch anymore. Her body was failing her.

"Please, stop." She whispered, surprised by how weak her voice sounded.

"Just relax. Everything will be fine if you behave." He continued to caress her cheek, enjoying the feel of her warm skin through the glove.

"Who are you?" She tried, her eyes feeling heavy.

"A friend… a friend of a man who is dying to meet you." He said simply.

JJ felt an internal shudder, her stomach felt queasy at his words. She knew he was still touching her, but she could no longer feel anything, her body was limp. The man on top of her noticed this and finally climbed off. JJ never noticed the change in the weight on top of her. She remained lying on the ground, face down.

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light, overwhelming her senses. She couldn't see anything, she panicked. She heard the slam of a door, and the approaching voice of the second man near her.

'_The light is from the SUV. It's in your eyes. You're ok, you can still see.'_ She tried to reassure herself, although it did little to calm her.

JJ felt her body being lifted from the ground.

"I know what to do, I'll do it." The first, deeper voice said. The second man sighed.

"Fine."

"Here, just hold her for me." The first man said, passing her limp, still-conscious form to the other man.

He held her upright, still facing the SUV lights so she could hardly see a thing.

"What…what's…happening…?" She whispered out, feeling her jacket being pushed down her arms and from her body.

"Relax, we're not going to hurt you." The second man said impossibly close to her ear.

JJ could very distantly feel hands on different parts of her body. Sliding inside her pants pockets, searching, touching, and emptying. On her hands, wrists, and neck, they were stripping her of her jewelry, of her identity. Her holster was pulled from her waist, her PDA, her lifeline, was gone. By the time they were done, she stood there cold, still dressed, but vividly feeling as though she had been violated.

She watched in a daze as they took her jacket, her source of warmth, and piled her belongings inside the pockets.

"I'm cold." She said, not realizing she had said it out loud until she saw the first man stare at her.

"Sorry honey, I have to do it. We'll run the heat for you in the car." He looked at her almost sympathetically.

The second man finally turned her away from the headlights, so they could both watch as his partner took her jacket full of belongings and chucked it into the passenger seat of her SUV. The man then reached around, shutting off the lights and turning off the ignition to the car. He bent down under the passenger's side, pulling something small from the underside of the SUV and shoving it into his pocket.

The second man continued to hold her tight, not that he needed to, as the other moved to Brewer. He opened the back hatch of the SUV and, struggling just a little with the man's weight, piled him into the trunk. He picked up the last few objects from the ground, the spare tire, tire iron, jack, and flashlight, and closed the hatch back up when he was finished.

"Wouldn't want the animals to get him." The man explained to them both, though his eyes said he was talking to JJ, almost as if to assure her he wasn't a terrible person.

JJ's eyes left his and her head dipped towards her chest, her body incredibly tired. She pleaded with herself to remain awake, she still didn't know what they were going to do to her, but it was a battle she was slowly losing.

"Do you have the case?" The first man asked his partner, his hand grabbing her chin and lifting her face to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, right here."

"Good, I think we're starting to lose her." The man said as he dropped her chin.

He grabbed the pillow case from his partner, and gently pulled it over JJ's head. By now she barely noticed, her vision was already becoming dark.

"Do you have the rope?"

"Yeah, here."

JJ's arms were brought behind her back and her wrists were tied.

"Just in case." The deep voice said to no one in particular.

"Alright, let's go." The second man said, moving to the driver's side door.

The man with the deep voice led JJ to the backseat, practically carrying her to her destination. Gently, he laid her down across the seat. His eyes lingered on her body, his hand reached out for the side of her covered head.

"Just sleep, pretty." He said before closing the door and jumping into the passenger's seat.

Those were the last words she would consciously hear for a while.


	2. Such a Perfect Day

**AN: Wow, the response to the start of this story was AMAZING. I was pleasantly surprised by how much feedback the prologue triggered. So much so, that I am going to try hard to update twice a week now. I have most of this written, it's just a time issue of editing and posting with everything else I have going on, but I will try. Unfortunately, I was a little mean. I started the prologue a few chapters in, so now we have to back track. The next few chapters will be the lead up to the first chapter you just read. Hopefully you still find it enjoyable until the real action starts. My goal is to finish writing this story soon, and to have the whole thing posted by the time the new season of Criminal Minds starts. That's the plan. Anyway, here we go…**

Jennifer Jareau groaned quietly as she slowly awoke from her peaceful slumber. As her senses began to come around, she was aware of the sheets covering her and the warm body beside her. The warm body belonged to her boyfriend, Spencer Reid. They had just returned home from a case, so exhausted, they barely had enough time to change their clothes before they both passed out on her bed.

As her mind began to function, JJ remembered, gratefully, that it was the weekend, meaning with any luck she could sleep in and spend the entire weekend with her boyfriend. It was something they had both been looking forward to all week.

JJ cracked her eye open just slightly, noticing how bright her room was as the sun poured in through her bedroom windows. Sighing lightly, she rolled over onto her stomach, willing her body to rest longer. The man beside her must have been awake, as his arm immediately wrapped around her, holding her close as she felt him brush her hair off her cheek.

"We should get up." He told her gently, his voice not sounding nearly as sleepy as she felt.

"Not yet…this is nice." She mumbled into her pillow.

"It's a beautiful day out, and we have a nice, long weekend together. Do you really want to waste it staying in bed?"

"Why not?"

"Because there are so many things we could be doing." He smiled, gently kissing her cheek.

"Just give me another hour…or two." JJ said as she kept her eyes shut.

"I have a better idea. Come on, get up." He told her more firmly, his arm sliding under her body.

"Spence…please." She whined as he rolled her onto her back carefully.

"Come on JJ, I mean it. It's a perfect day outside. I want to spend it with you."

"Ok, ok. Just give me a minute." She groaned.

JJ forced her eyes open slowly, giving them time to adjust to the brightness as she sighed. When another minute passed and she still hadn't moved from the bed, Spencer decided to use a different tactic.

"Let's go JJ." He warned.

"Since when are you such a morning person?" She almost glared back at him.

"You're going to make me do this the hard way, aren't you?"

"You shouldn't have woken me up."

"You were already awake! Last warning…"

JJ chuckled.

"You don't scare me, Spencer Reid."

Spencer smiled mischievously as he hovered over her.

"You forget, I know you better than anyone JJ."

JJ broke into a fit of laughter as his hands began to tickle and tease her, his lips ravishing her face with gentle kisses as he did so.

"Spencer Reid knock it off!" She giggled as she writhed on the bed.

"I warned you, now I'm not going to show you any mercy." He smiled as he continued his actions.

Finally, when he knew she couldn't take much more, he stopped. JJ breathed heavily, her belly hurting from laughing so hard.

"You're evil." She smirked at him. Spencer simply shrugged, wrapping his arm around her body.

"_That_ wasn't all that evil…but this is."

JJ yelped as he rolled her from the bed and sent her gently crashing onto the carpeted floor in a heap. Stunned, she lay there for a minute before looking up at him.

"You're lucky you are cute Dr. Reid. Just remember, paybacks are a bitch." She smiled thinly as she slowly stood from the floor. Chuckling, Spencer met her eyes.

"Noted."

"At least I get to use the bathroom first!" She called over her shoulder.

"That's ok, despite how you may sometimes feel, I am a gentleman. I'll wait my turn."

Standing in the bathroom doorway JJ turned to look at him.

"Good, I just hope you don't have to pee…I may be a while." JJ said with a grin as Spencer's face dropped a little.

"Good thing you have two bathrooms."

"Good thing." JJ smirked, closing the door behind her.

"Hey wait!" Spencer called after her. The door flew open.

"What?" JJ asked, looking more serious.

"You forgot our morning kiss." Spencer smiled as he now stood inches from the door.

"After how you treated me this morning, I'm not so sure you earned one." She said, placing her hand on her hip.

"I think we both know you're bluffing." He smiled, wrapping his hand around her waist and giving her a firm, loving kiss on the lips.

"Such a smart man." JJ chuckled after the kiss broke.

"May I shower now?"

"Please do." Spencer responded nonchalantly.

"Thanks a lot!" JJ looked shocked, slapping his arm lightly before whirling around and closing the door.

"I…I didn't mean it like that!" He called after her, a little flustered.

The only response he received was the sound of the water to the shower turning on. Images of JJ on the other side of the door, sliding out of her tank top and yoga pants, briefly flashed into his head. Shaking the thoughts loose, Spencer headed towards the kitchen, reminding himself just how lucky he was to have her.

/

"So, what did you have planned?" JJ asked Spencer, snapping him from his thoughtful daze. They were just finishing up breakfast, after they had both showered and dressed for the day.

Standing, Spencer grabbed her cleaned off plate and walked their dishes to the dish washer.

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could start at the park." He said, putting the dishes inside.

"Mhm…that sounds nice."

"We could grab some food, have a picnic maybe, and just relax for the day."

"That sounds like a great idea Spence." JJ smiled, taking a final sip of her coffee.

"You said you wanted to be lazy, so I figured today we could just take it easy."

"You have me convinced." She said, standing beside him.

"Wow."

"Wow what?"

"That was almost easier than I thought it would be, a lot easier than getting you out of bed anyway."

"Hey, take it easy there buddy, don't push your luck." JJ smirked.

"You know I'm only teasing." He reminded her.

"I know you are." She smiled back, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I'll go grab a blanket and some things, and I'll be back in a minute."

"Sounds good." Spencer answered. He closed the dishwasher and started it up.

Although JJ hadn't been home for almost a week, there were still plenty of dishes from their dinner last night and their pancakes this morning. Spencer grabbed some food and drinks from the refrigerator and piled them into the small cooler JJ kept stored in the nearby closet. They had been exhausted when the plane touched down last night, but thankfully they had gone shopping before they returned home, not that they had much of a choice.

One of the challenges of their job was eating as they went. Spencer had learned a long time ago, never to overstock the refrigerator with perishable goods, as there was no telling how long a case could take. Some cases took a mere day or two; others like this last one took a good week.

Satisfied that he had packed enough food, Spencer turned just in time to see JJ reenter the room with a bag of things.

"I think we're all set." She smiled.

"Ok then, let's go." Spencer said, taking the bag from her hand.

"Such a gentleman." JJ commented as he made it so she wouldn't have to carry anything.

Spencer piled everything into the trunk of his car while waiting for JJ to finish locking the door. He slammed the trunk shut as JJ took a seat on the passenger side.

"We should've walked." JJ commented as Spencer closed his door and pulled on his seatbelt.

"Bit of a walk, don't you think?" He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"It's five minutes away."

"Driving time it is, distance-wise it's about three miles, which translates to about forty minutes of walking."

"You said it yourself, it's a nice day. What's wrong, you didn't feel like carrying the bags all that way?"

"What? No, not at all. It's just more practical that we drive."

"Not feeling strong today Spence?" JJ placed her hand on his forearm, a twinkle in her eye.

"I feel fine."

"Are you sure? Because if this is too much for you…"

"JJ, please." He glared at her. JJ chuckled and glanced out the window.

"I guess we won't be doing much when we get back tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"I wouldn't want to tire you out or hurt you since you're not feeling too strong and all."

"JJ, really?"

"Mom always told me I should marry a quarterback." She said, still staring out the window.

There was a long, silent pause. Finally, JJ turned to look at him. Spencer's face had fallen a little and he looked agitated.

"I was only kidding, Spence, don't be so serious." She rubbed his arm consolingly.

"That's not funny." He glared at her through the corner of his eye.

"Just a little payback for earlier." She smiled wryly as they pulled into a parking spot.

"Are we even now?"

"Maybe." JJ shrugged noncommittally.

"Well hopefully you'll feel better in a few hours." Spencer rolled his eyes, releasing his seatbelt.

Together, they grabbed their things from the car and walked into the park. It was almost the definition of a perfect May day. The air was dry and the temperature wasn't higher than the low eighties. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and a light breeze rustled the leaves on the nearby trees. Throughout the park there were people playing Frisbee, walking, or just laying out as kids ran around and laughed on the playground across the way.

A few hundred feet from Spencer's car, they found the perfect spot to set up. JJ stretched out a blanket on the ground as Spencer unpacked the bag of things she had brought which included sunscreen, books and a soccer ball. Once they had everything unpacked JJ grabbed the soccer ball, gently kicking it in Spencer's direction.

"JJ, you know I'm not too coordinated." He groaned when the ball bounced off his foot and rolled away.

"Relax this is supposed to be fun. I promised you I'd work with you on that." She called after him as he chased down the ball. Timidly, he kicked it back to her.

They kicked it back and forth for a while. JJ was happy to see Spencer grow more confident as he developed a better feel for the ball. Kicking it back to him once more, she challenged him.

"Ok Spence, now dribble forward and try to get past me."

"Do you think that's such a good idea?"

"I promise, I'll go easy on you, at least at first."

Sighing, Spencer began to move forward. At first he looked a little awkward, but the further he went, the more fluid his feet became.

"I'll have you taught yet, Spence." JJ smiled, watching his feet as he tried to dribble around her.

Although she had promised to go easy on him, she was still naturally competitive at heart, just as he was. As Spencer tried to protect his dribble and spin around her, JJ easily kicked the ball back to where he had come from.

"Nice try." She chuckled, watching as he chased down the ball again. He came back at her again, but it resulted in the same outcome. After four more attempts, Spencer was frustrated.

"You're doing a lot better Spence." She encouraged.

He responded simply with a grunt, telling himself to give it one more try. He had learned her movements, he knew that initially she would expect him to go right and kick at him with her left foot. When he tried to spin, she would trap his foot with her right foot, putting her hand on his hip to help keep her balance. This time, he was going to outsmart her.

Dribbling forward, Spencer acted as though he were going right again, but just as he reached her he lunged left. JJ was surprised, but her skill kicked in and she recovered quickly.

Spencer did a half spin to his left, quickly changing direction before doing a full spin right. JJ reached out to grab his hip, but he gently slapped her hand away. He was battling her, but she still had the upper hand. Her experience allowed her to compensate when he tricked her, and her trained feet were at least twice as fast as his less coordinated ones. Spencer had calculated this however, and he had also calculated that once JJ had disarmed his first few moves, she would likely become overconfident and take a gamble.

With his free foot, Spencer gently pushed JJ's plant foot along the grass, just as she had lunged with her other foot to try and steal the ball away. Losing her footing she slipped slightly, catching herself before she fell but allowing Spencer just enough room to dribble the soccer ball past her. Once he was out of her reach he turned around and raised his hands above his head triumphantly, a wide smile on his face.

JJ giggled at how foolish he looked.

"Good job Spence, it's about time. I knew you had it in you." She smiled.

"Have you had enough?"

"For now." JJ conceded.

"At least I can say I finally beat you." He smiled, dribbling the ball back to her.

"Don't get too confident, I didn't exactly unleash all of my skills on you."

"Sounds like you're getting a little defensive." He smirked, placing the ball at her feet. As if it were reflex JJ bounced the ball on her foot and kicked it up into her waiting hands.

"Next time I'll be sure to give you more of a challenge." She grumbled a little.

Spencer wrapped his arm around her, giving her a hug. JJ put the ball at the end of the blanket and they both sat down.

JJ put on some sunglasses and lay out on her back as Spencer grabbed one of the books and began to speed read. They stayed like this for a while, JJ resting as she caught some sun, while Spencer plowed through the books she had brought intently.

Time passed and the sun shifted in the bright blue sky. Soon it was early afternoon. Together they shared lunch, flirting and playfully feeding each other like a normal happy couple. When the food was gone and settled, JJ re-applied some sunscreen on both of them. They both had fair skin, so it was a must. Spencer hated the feel of sunscreen, but with JJ rubbing it on his face and neck gently, who was he to protest.

Smiling, their eyes met and they shared a kiss. With a contented sigh, JJ settled back onto the blanket to rest. Spencer watched her for a moment before turning his attention to the rest of the park.

For a while he peacefully sat there, observing some of the other people in the park. He smiled at the children playing on the slide. He watched from a distance, taking some mental notes, at some of the interactions of some of the other couples. Some were bold, making out and touching each other sensually, oblivious to the world around them. Others were more like him and JJ, sitting peacefully, enjoying their own space, but never wandering far from the other and sharing the occasional kiss when they flirted or shared a moment.

Turning to his right, he watched as people walked, skated, and biked down the paved path that circled much of the park. His thoughts drifted for a while, his brain always active. He didn't know what time it was, but looking at where the sun was now, he had been sitting for a good hour. He was beginning to feel just a little bored, but looking at JJ she looked so peaceful and he really didn't want to disturb her.

"Checkmate." He heard drift through the air. Searching for the source of the sound, he found a couple pairs of older men playing chess on a picnic table by one of the trees close to them. He inwardly debated for a moment, before deciding JJ wouldn't mind if he left her for a few minutes.

"Hey JJ, I'm going to go play chess for a few minutes. I'll be right over by the picnic table if you need anything."

Drawing in a deep breath, JJ stretched and shifted.

"Ok Spence, have fun. Do me proud." She mumbled.

Spencer smiled as he stood, stretching his limber frame. Walking over to the group, they quickly accepted him and before he knew it he was fully ensconced in a game with an elderly man.

JJ rolled over onto her side, propping her head up on her elbow. She watched as Spencer and the old man traded stories as they moved their pieces. She smiled, watching him intently. She studied how he carried himself, friendly and respectful, around the older man. He initially allowed the man to get the upper hand, but JJ knew all too well that the man didn't stand a chance. Spencer always won at chess.

He had taken the time to teach her a few weeks back and while she was getting better, she still didn't stand a chance against him. She wasn't an avid chess player, but she had learned for him. Just as he was willing to try soccer, she was willing to learn chess. It was just another thing that bound them, that they could share with each other.

The breeze softly teased some of her hair, but JJ was too focused to smooth it back down. She watched as Spencer cornered the man, he had him beat. Spencer brushed his hair across his forehead after a particularly strong gust of wind. The older man studied the board, and then graciously accepted defeat when he realized he was out of options. Spencer shook the man's hand gently, and was immediately challenged by another confident soul.

Turning to check on JJ, he paused briefly when he saw she was staring right at him. She simply nodded her head, her lips curling up slightly. Recognizing that JJ was fine with another game, Spencer sat back down, ready to take on the next challenger.

The sun began to settle lower into the sky. A beautiful sunset filled the evening sky as the air began to grow cooler. Spencer finished up his last game, and when he was finished, he triumphantly returned to JJ who had begun to pack their things. Giving her a kiss, he wrapped an arm around her waist as they brought their things back to his car.

"The sky is beautiful." She remarked, looking up as Spencer packed the car. Slamming the trunk shut, he turned to her.

"Are you feeling hungry?"

"Not yet, lunch is still tiding me over." She smiled as his hands snaked back around her waist and he stood behind her, his eyes joining hers in the sky.

"We don't have to go home yet, we could always take a walk."

"I'd like that, at least until it gets dark."

Joining hands, they walked side by side along the paved path. They kept a relaxed pace, at times chatting away about this or that, and at other times remaining silent, simply enjoying the other's company. As it began to grow dark, they quickened their strides.

JJ shivered slightly as the breeze had turned colder, causing some goose bumps to form on her bare arms. Spencer noticed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into him to share some warmth.

"Thanks." She said quietly, more than happy with his chivalry.

Before they knew it, they were back at his car, just as the sun disappeared behind the buildings and trees in the distance. Spencer unlocked and opened the passenger door, and JJ graciously took her seat, pulling her arms to her sides as he shut the door. When Spencer had taken his seat and fastened his seatbelt, he turned to her.

"Did you have a good time?"

"It was perfect Spence, thank you." She leaned in and gave him a loving kiss on the lips. "What about you?"

Grinning, Spencer needed little time to think of a response.

"I couldn't think of a more relaxing way to spend a day with you."

JJ smiled and planted another kiss on his lips.

"Let's go home."

The look in her eye was all Spencer needed. He backed out of the parking spot and put the car in gear, beginning the blissful ride back to her house for what was sure to be an even better night.


	3. Life Decisions

**AN: Wow the feedback on this continues to be great! This chapter is one of the shorter ones and is a bit of an extension of the previous one. It felt necessary to add to give this story some background context before we get into the action. The next chapter will be longer and it will begin to shed some light on the case(s). It'll be up in a couple days. Strong T this chapter for the last few paragraphs.**

For as beautiful as Saturday had been weather wise, Sunday proved to be just the opposite. The happy couple awoke the next morning to find the weather overcast and gloomy. Although they were both a little disappointed, it did little to dampen their moods.

After breakfast, they both agreed that today looked like a good day to stay inside. Spencer left, briefly, to return home to get a few things. He had just made it back to JJ's with some books and his dirty laundry when the heavens decided to open up. The rain came down hard and fast, only intermittently letting up throughout the day.

Together, they decided the morning would be left to chores. JJ volunteered to do Spencer's laundry with hers, if he would help her clean up the house a little. He openly accepted the deal, never a big fan of laundry to begin with. While she took care of his things, he cleaned up her kitchen and bathroom. By the time early afternoon came around, the entire house was spotless and all their laundry was done. They were a great team.

While sitting down to lunch, the topic of why they didn't live together inevitably came about. They'd been dating for a few months now, and they both were very happy with their current relationship. It was only a matter of time before they moved in together. They were always spending time at each other's houses when home, but the problem was with the logistics. Every time they were ready to combine their things, another case or something else came up. Also, Spencer was holding back a little. If there was one thing that frustrated JJ about him, it was that.

"Spence, I want to do this." She tried again, her frustration evident.

"I know JJ, I just…I don't want to lose my place yet."

"Then I'll move to your apartment."

"JJ I told you before, I can't let you do that. You _own_ this house, I only rent my apartment."

"So why don't you want to leave it then? You spend a lot of your time here anyway. What has you worried? Do you think things won't work out between us?"

"What? No…not at all."

"It kind of seems that way."

"It's not JJ, I promise you. I am happy, I've never been happier in my life. I love you, so much." He rubbed her wrist to accentuate his statement.

"It's just…it would be a big step for me. I love the set up of my apartment. I love having a place I can fall back to when I need some time alone. It's going to take some work to combine all of our stuff."

"We've already combined a lot of our stuff, Spence. I have a spare room where you can store your stuff if you need to. You can turn it into a personal study if you want, I don't care. I just want to take that next step. I think we're ready for it."

Spencer sighed.

"You don't have to get rid of the apartment if you don't want to, but you could still move in. It's a convenience thing, it's a time thing. We don't get many weekends together like this because of our job. I don't want to waste time going back and forth every time we need something."

Spencer looked deep into JJ's eyes, staring at her as he considered her words. Finally, he spoke again.

"Ok."

JJ's face lit up a little.

"Ok?"

"I'll move most of my stuff over here next weekend. I'll keep the apartment for a few weeks until I'm ready to let it go."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. I don't want this to be an issue between us, I love you too much JJ."

JJ's face beamed as she sprung from her chair, wrapping her arms around Spencer's neck and placing a passionate kiss on his lips.

"I love you so much Spence."

"I love you too." His heart melted as he looked into her happy eyes.

They moved to the couch, wrapped close in each other's arms as they settled in for an afternoon full of movie watching. They alternated between Star Trek and chick flicks until the afternoon became evening. Too comfortable and too lazy to order dinner, they ordered takeout instead. The clean up was easy, and when their final movie ended, JJ grabbed the controller and stood, turning off the TV.

Spencer watched her, his body missing her warm presence beside him that he had become so accustomed to. Walking across the room, JJ went to her shelf space and began rummaging through her CDs until she found the one she was looking for.

"What are you doing JJ? It's only seven, it's a little early for bed don't you think?"

She put the CD in her CD player and soft music began to fill the quiet room. Silently, she walked back to where he was sitting on the couch and grabbed his hand. Spencer groaned quietly as she helped lift his stiff frame from the couch until he stood in front of her.

"What is this?" Spencer asked as she pulled him towards the center of the room.

"I want to dance with you." She said quietly as she began to sway her hips gently from side to side.

"JJ you know I'm not a very good dancer."

"That's why we're going to practice." She smiled, pulling his body closer to hers. JJ rested her chin on his shoulder as their bodies touched.

"Just follow my movements. Nice and easy Spence…side to side…one step forward, one step back." She encouraged in his ear.

At first Spencer moved rather rigidly, his body tense.

"Just listen to the flow of the music, just move with me. Stay loose…don't be so self conscious." She continued.

"Easy for you to say, you're the one with the quick feet." He countered with a small laugh.

"Don't worry, I'm not judging you. This is all about having fun…and nice, close, intimate…contact." Her lips ghosted down the side of his neck, sending a rush through his body.

As they began to move more in tune to each other's rhythm, they became lost in each other.

"Now you're getting it Spence, I'll have you coordinated yet." She chuckled.

"You're a good teacher." He complimented.

"It's easy when you're trying to teach a genius."

Spencer's fingers pressed into her hips, guiding her as they moved side to side. Gradually as he became more confident, JJ slowly relinquished the control and the lead to him, as it was meant to be. The warmth radiating from both their bodies filled the room with a loving comfort. They could both stay like that for hours.

Spencer's mind drifted as they continued to move, thinking about how lucky he was to have this woman, the woman he wanted from the day he had met her, in his arms. Her small body fit perfectly against his thin frame. She was so agile, and athletic. She was so caring and compassionate. While Spencer had little doubt that he wasn't her usual type, somehow it hadn't mattered; they had found something in each other, something that connected them and drew them close. He knew it wasn't always easy for her to date a guy, a smart, socially awkward nerd, like him.

But he also realized that she did her best to keep him from feeling overwhelmed, to keep him from thinking that she would leave him as soon as a stronger, more handsome man came along. These were insecurities he had battled for weeks when they first began to date, but she had done everything to assure him that if he loved her, she would love him back even more. It had taken time, but gradually he had been able to shake that insecure feeling, for the most part. Now, as he looked down at her buried in his arms, pressed so intimately to him, Spencer had the overwhelming urge to kiss her, to make love to her.

Gently, his hands pressed more firmly against her hips, pushing her away from him a little to create some space. She looked into his eyes, opening her mouth to protest, when his lips crashed down on hers passionately. Their lips dueled, their tongues tasting each other as they kissed deeply.

"I love you so much JJ." He gasped between kisses.

He felt her lips turn up into a smile as they continued to kiss. Finally when they both needed air, their lips parted. Spencer kept his arms firmly around her, his fingers tracing light circles on the small of JJ's back.

"I knew dancing would stir something inside of you." She smiled.

"I think I'm ready for bed." He conceded, his hand slipping just under her tank top to the waist of her sweatpants.

"Ok." She agreed.

She walked to the shelf to turn the CD player off. Spencer kept his hands possessively around her waist as he walked behind her. As soon as she hit the button to turn it off, Spencer surprised her by scooping her into his arms.

JJ yelped a little, but quickly recovered, giggling as he carried her down the hall and into the bedroom. He kicked the door closed behind them, walking urgently to the bed before placing her down gently on top of it. Before JJ could react he was on her. His lips claiming hers fiercely as his hands pushed her tank top up from her thin stomach.

"Spence…" She gasped as his lips moved to her pulse point, sucking.

JJ shifted her body, arching her back to help him as he brought her top over her head. Spencer smiled lustfully as he pushed wisps of her light hair from her face, stroking it back from her forehead. JJ felt the desire build inside of her as his hands possessively moved back down her body. She gripped his hair, kissing his cheek firmly. She wiggled beneath, arching again, as his hands pulled her sweatpants down her legs.

"Spence…I want you…" She cooed with pleasure as he squeezed her thighs with his talented hands. She arched into him as his hand rubbed over her hip.

"Yes…Spence…please…" She groaned.

His hand continued the march back up her, teasing her navel and tracing her rib cage. JJ forced herself to open her eyes, to watch what he was doing no matter how much more it turned her on. As her eyes fell to him, she realized he was wearing too many clothes for her liking. Her small hands moved to the hem of his shirt and pulled up. When she had the material solely in her hands, she rolled it up and chucked it to the floor.

Spencer smiled when their eyes met. Gently, he leaned over and began to place light kisses over her face as she slowly stripped him naked. They both became lost in each other, in the moment. Before she knew it, JJ found herself naked as well; she didn't even know how or when she had lost the rest of her clothes.

The distinct feeling of skin brushing against skin, in the most intimate of areas without the interference of fabric, was all the encouragement they needed. Spencer felt like he was going to explode when she felt her hand squeeze him encouragingly.

"Please Spence…I can't wait much longer." She implored him.

His mouth left her breast as he reached over towards the bedside table, pulling out a condom. Unwrapping it, he handed it to JJ who dutifully covered him up.

"I'm ready Spence." She moaned after another shared kiss.

"So am I." He panted, his eyes taking in the same naked sight he had seen before, a sight that could never get old to him. He positioned himself over her and before long, he was making love to the most beautiful woman in his world.


	4. A Case, A First Glance

**AN:** **Thank you all again for all of the reviews, I may not mention it every chapter going forward, but I appreciate that you would take the time out to actually leave your feedback. This chapter we continue to move forward. I know some of you are eagerly awaiting the action, I promise it will come soon enough. As detailed as I am being now is just as detailed I will be for the action/conflict too. Warnings this chapter for some bad words. **

The next morning came all too quickly.

It was Monday and as JJ's alarm rang, she woke to find the usual warm body beside her was missing. Rolling onto her back she sighed, staring at the ceiling as she took a minute to gather her thoughts.

The past weekend had been perfect. She had spent so much time with Spencer, and it had been rare for them to get a full weekend alone like the one they had just had. Her mind and body both felt rested and satisfied. For as awkward and uncoordinated as he might be, the man knew how to make love to her.

But, more importantly, he knew how to treat her right. He treated her like she was the only woman in the world, as if she were special. He had gone out of his way to make sure the weekend they had, while nothing spectacular, was still memorable and relaxing to the fullest. Some men tried too hard, Spencer didn't have to, whether he knew it or not. Sure, she liked to be surprised and to occasionally go on adventures, but weekends like this, focused on the simple things, were just as good if not better in her book.

JJ smiled as she thought back to their important conversation from the previous day. She had finally gotten him to agree to move in with her. God forbid if they weren't stuck on another case, they would finally be living together full time under one roof. It was a big step in the direction she wanted things to go.

While she wasn't exactly the most bold when it came to intimate relationships, she had been really trying to push him to move in with her. She wasn't getting any younger. She had never been happier with another man than she was with him. If this move worked out, if they could cohabitate twenty-four seven and somehow grow even closer, then, _hopefully_, the next step would follow. They would spend the rest of their lives together.

JJ knew she was getting ahead of herself, she of all people should know how quickly things could change, but just the thought of it brought joy to her heart. She just had to pray Spencer wouldn't revert back to his insecurities and develop cold feet again.

JJ heard footsteps coming from down the hall towards her direction. Pressing her hands into the mattress, she forced herself to sit up as she leaned against the headrest. Seconds later, Spencer came walking in rather swiftly. His eyes looked serious, his face looked stressed.

"Spence, is something wrong?" She asked him worriedly as she studied him.

He had moved to the closet to retrieve some things, his mind almost absently forgetting that she was laying there. Realizing his mistake, he turned and looked at her apologetically. Leaning down, he gave her a gentle good morning kiss which she accepted.

"Hotch just called, we have another case."

JJ groaned, running a hand through her bed-head hair.

"It was too good to last." She grumbled.

"I know. That's the life we chose."

"What kind of case is it?" She asked as she stood, pulling her bathrobe firmly around her small frame.

"It's pretty bad. Someone is abducting and killing young kids in western Oklahoma from what little Hotch told me." Spencer paused from packing his bag, his eyes meeting JJ's sympathetically. He knew how much cases involving young kids could get to her.

JJ did her best not to wince, to keep herself composed. Spencer saw right through it however, he knew her too well.

"Hey, we'll get through it just like we always do." He consoled her, his arms pulling her into an embrace.

"I know." She sighed.

Kissing the top of her head, Spencer gathered up the courage to spill the next thing he had to tell her.

"JJ…there is something else." He said as he tried his hardest to not appear too nervous.

JJ turned in his arms until she was facing him. The look of worry told her the case wasn't the only thing on his mind. She felt a pit form in her stomach, her mind racing through the different scenarios of what he was about to tell her.

"What is it?"

"I…I won't be going on the case. At least…not today." He stuttered out as her eyes bore into his.

"Why not? What's wrong?" She asked in a stern voice that still held compassion and worry.

"I actually received two calls this morning. One from Hotch and one from my Mom's clinic. She's not doing so well again. I told Hotch, he agreed to give me some time to go see her and help her out anyway I can."

"Oh no, she's having another spell?" JJ said quietly as she gently rubbed his arm.

"She is. It looks like they might have to change her medication again. I'm going to go talk to her, and her doctors, to see what the options are to help her." Spencer said rather solemnly.

"Oh, Spence. I'm so sorry." JJ pulled him into another hug.

"It's ok… I've been dealing with this for years now. It just means we'll have to maybe try something else for her."

"I understand." JJ nodded.

"Unfortunately, that means I won't be flying with you. But if the case is still ongoing in a day or two I'll meet you and the rest of the team there." He told her, his fingers gently brushing back a strand of hair from her cheek.

"Spence, I should go with you."

"Thank you, but no."

"Why not? Your mom needs you but who will be there to support _you_ if you need it?" JJ looked up almost pleadingly into his eyes.

"I'll be fine JJ, I promise. The team needs you. The case will be harder to solve if they are short two members let alone one. I'm only going for a day, two maximum, and then I'll see you there." He kissed her gently on the cheek before stepping away to continue packing.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do?" She asked, hands on her hips as she watched him.

"Just knowing that you're willing to do anything to help me, to know that you are there for me is all I need. I appreciate everything JJ, really I do. But it's only for a day." He said, trying to force himself to smile.

"I know, I just feel like I could do something more."

"You can't. Besides, being away from you is going to be all the motivation I need to return to you as quick as possible." He looked up as he zipped his bag shut.

JJ smiled, although her face betrayed some of the worry she felt.

"I love you." She grabbed him kissing him for a final time on the lips.

"I love you too. Coffee is ready in the kitchen. I'll see you soon." Slowly they drifted apart, their hands lingering until they were out of reach.

JJ watched him go and heard as her front door closed shut in the distance. Spencer Reid was a much stronger man than he gave himself credit for. While she admired his strength and courage, JJ truly wished she could have gone with him. Now, as she turned to the clock, she realized she had to refocus on getting ready. The sooner she helped solve the case, the sooner she could spend more time with her man.

/

JJ found herself sitting alone on the BAU's private plane, Spencer's usual spot beside her noticeably vacant. Across from her, in their usual spots, sat Morgan and Prentiss. JJ's quiet, slightly guarded demeanor as she went through some of the case files wasn't lost on the two profilers.

"JJ, he's going to be ok you know. If he needs something, he'll call." Emily spoke first.

JJ glanced up from the file in front of her to see the two pairs of eyes focused on her.

"In the meantime, if _you_ need anything you know we're here for you, girl." Morgan added seriously.

"I know, thank you, both of you."

"So what's the problem, is it the case?" Emily asked.

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Because your mind is clearly somewhere else, and you're furrowing your brow." Morgan pointed out.

"I thought there was a rule against profiling each other." JJ reminded a little firmly.

"We're not profiling you, just something that's very noticeable. We want to help you, if we can." Emily coaxed.

JJ sighed as she put the file on the table in front of her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Hotch and Rossi were telecommunicating with Garcia about the case.

"I just, I hate cases like this, involving the abduction and murders of innocent children. Out of all the cases we get, these are the ones I hate dealing with the most. I'm sure you've picked up on that by now. As for Spence, I know he's fine, I wish there was more I could do for him though. His mom is a situation he's handled before. I just wish I could've gone with him. He's so closed off and guarded when it comes to her. I _will_ miss him. It's just more I feel like somehow I'm letting him down or that he's shutting me out." JJ explained.

"There's only so much you can do for him. You both need your space sometimes. And there are things we all keep closer to the vest, no matter how close we are to our friends and family, I'm sure there are things he would wish you were more open about as well." Emily offered.

JJ's mind drifted a little as she thought about it.

"I guess, I just, don't want anything to come between us. I want us to be there for each other, through anything that happens. I want to be the one he can go to no matter what the issue is."

"You'll get there JJ, these things take time. When he feels ready to let you in about something, he will. You're pretty guarded yourself you know." Morgan said.

"I know, I know. I'm working on it." She grimaced as she looked out the window.

"Listen. We will solve this case. Right now, you need to keep your head on that. Once we have it solved, maybe you can go see his mother with him. Or, at least talk to him about it." Morgan pushed.

"Whatever has you worried will work out JJ. You can't let yourself get stressed over every little thing. You two are great together, you seem as close as ever, you both obviously love each other." Emily spoke.

"We do. I know I'm being a little… I don't know insecure about this. I just have a bad feeling about something. I don't know what it is. I wish he was here."

"He will be soon enough, and until then, you have us." Morgan smiled, drawing a slight smile to JJ's face.

"Alright, let's get back to this case so we can reunite the love birds." Emily teased, grabbing the file JJ had put down.

JJ smiled abashedly, grabbing another folder and catching herself up on the details of the case. It wasn't easy, but she knew she had to focus on the task at hand. People, young children and their families, were depending on them with their lives. JJ didn't want to let them down.

/

Tony Aceves hated Oklahoma; particularly Guymon, where he found himself now.

It wasn't _because _Guymon was so far from his home near Ojo Feliz, although that certainly didn't help. No, it was because the locals in this city were idiots. The last thing he had wanted to do was to drive the nearly five hours to this boring, incredibly unspectacular place to get into a dispute with the local police. But here he was.

All because one of his men was erroneously being accused of trying to steal cattle and transport it across state lines to their home in New Mexico. What the idiot police failed to note was they had a deal in place with the man accusing them of stealing. But because he was a local, the police automatically took the man's word for it. So now not only did he have to bail his man out and set a court date, but he was out five cows the group had so readily needed. He was beyond pissed. Guymon could go fuck itself.

To make matters worse, there were absolutely no beautiful women around. He needed to find a beautiful woman, and soon. If he didn't find a woman he liked, one that could meet his needs and fit his requirements, he could lose his standing. He could lose his role as leader. His time was running short and this bullshit over the cows was making that even harder to do.

Tony ran his hand through his short, dark hair in frustration as he sat at the bench in the precinct. Finally, after taking a lot more time than necessary, his man Cal was led into the waiting area by one of the officers.

Cal was a smaller man, but he was still in good shape from years of laborious work. The thirty year old man stood at about five-foot seven, his brown hair buzzed short and his face with some stubble from the last two days. He was a quiet, more timid man who was eager to please, particularly his leader Tony.

He was loyal, even when he was pushed to do things he would rather not do. He could never be a leader, he was too weak. He was a follower, just like many of the others who lived in the group. Tony stood, making eye contact with Cal as he was given his things and Tony signed the last of the paperwork.

"Ok, he is free to go. But make sure he makes that court date, if not there will be a warrant out for him." The officer reminded them unnecessarily. Tony simply glared, watching as the man walked away.

"I'm sorry about all of this Tony. I thought it was a straight-cut deal." Cal said timidly as he finished retrieving his items.

Tony glared at him darkly.

"What the fuck were you doing out here anyway? I know I said not to stay local but you choose fucking Guymon Oklahoma of all places? The fuck is the matter with you?"

"I'm sorry, really I am. It seemed like a legit deal and I knew how badly we needed cattle. It was that or go back to that place we always do. You didn't like what they _gave _us last time, and you said yourself we can't keep going to the same places for these things."

"I know what I said. We _do _need cattle though and now we don't have them. This fucking drought is killing us. I know I told everyone God provides, but he better start providing soon or I'm going to have some real problems."

Cal nodded understandingly as their eyes met.

"Now you owe me twice; for the cattle and for bailing your ass out. You need to step it up soon or you're going to find yourself in some real trouble."

"I know, I know." Cal said, looking down at his feet.

"Come on. Let's get out of this damn city before they find something else to hit us with." Tony led the way as they moved from the lobby towards the door.

Just as they turned the corner and saw the door, a crush of official-looking people came pushing through it. Tony stopped, putting his arm out and pressing it to Cal's chest to stop him too.

"We need to see any new information you have on this case as soon as possible. We also need to review the latest crime scene." A man with short, black hair and an air of authority about him spoke.

"What's going on?" Cal whispered as they watched the group walk into the precinct.

"Shh…keep quiet." Tony whispered.

His heart was racing, but it wasn't from what was being discussed by the passing group. It was because of _her_.

Towards the front of the group was the most beautiful, petite blonde he had ever seen in his life. She walked with an air of confidence, her soft voice purring in his ears as she spoke next to the police officer who was leading the way.

"I need to meet with the families, to go over what happened. Once we have enough hard information, I'll give a press conference informing the public on what to look for." She said.

"Sure thing Agent Jareau." The officer replied.

Cautiously, Tony turned and took a step in the direction that the group was headed in.

"What are you doing?" Cal questioned, grabbing Tony by the shoulder to stop him.

Tony's eyes were still transfixed on the blonde. His eyes travelling the shape of her body, mesmerized by the sway in her hips as she walked. His eyes travelled higher, all the way to her hair. She had long, thick, golden hair. She was perfect.

Maybe today hadn't turned into such a bad day. He had always preached to his followers that everything happened for a reason. There was a reason he was here, there was a reason she was too. He had seen her from afar for a reason. He had been so desperate to find a girl, and after cursing out the lack of local talent, maybe his search was over, _maybe._

"Tony I thought you said we were going?"

"Shut the fuck up will you?" Tony turned and snapped at him.

He watched as the blonde and her friends went into a room and closed the door. He had already decided he hated Guymon, but now, maybe there was a reason for him to stick around for a day or two.

"Just stay here for a minute, will you? Try not to look too awkward, blend in." He ordered Cal.

The man sighed but did as he was told, not wanting to piss Tony off anymore. He walked over to the wall and began to scan the community bulletin board as he watched Tony approach an officer from the corner of his eye.

"Hey, excuse me. Uh…what's going on?" Tony asked when he had gotten the officer's attention.

"What do you mean?" The officer asked, puzzled.

"All the official-looking people around here, what's going on?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just a concerned citizen. My son goes to school not far from here. It's not every day you see a scene like that walk into town. I know there's media buzzing outside too." Tony said, picking up on what the pretty blonde had said.

The officer sighed and looked at him. The story was going to get out sometime today anyway, and he couldn't very well lie to a concerned father.

"Ok, I'll tell you, but I can't tell you too much."

Tony nodded, licking his lip in anticipation.

"The chief is worried that there's a serial killer in one of the surrounding towns going after children. He called in the FBI from Washington D.C. to help solve the case, if there is one."

Tony whistled quietly.

"Wow, that is intense. Should I be worried about my son at all?" He continued the ruse.

"Just keep a close eye on him when he's home. If he's at school, he should be fine. We should have a press conference later providing more information on the necessary precautions. Just be sure you, your son, and the rest of your family are aware at all times until we catch this person."

"Good advice. I'll be sure to do just that." Tony nodded. The officer smiled and nodded back.

"I just hope this whole thing doesn't turn into a circus…with the FBI and all. I'm not a big fan of traffic tie ups and it's already turning into a zoo out there. The last thing I want to see is an FBI motorcade driving through the streets at all hours whenever they have a lead or need to go back to the hotel to rest. I moved here to get away from stuff like that."

The officer chuckled a little.

"I understand sir, but I assure you they will be gone as soon as possible and life will return to normal."

Tony continued to frown a little, acting as though he didn't fully believe the officer.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, they're staying local minus the leads. You shouldn't have to worry too much about traffic unless you stay downtown. Their hotel is right up the road, makes it easier for everyone involved."

Tony couldn't contain the smile that this brought to his face.

"Good to know. Thank you for your time, and the assurances."

"Anytime, have a nice day." The officer smiled. They both nodded and Tony went back to find Cal by the bulletin board.

"What was that all about?" Cal asked.

"Don't worry about it. I'll keep you informed when it's time."

Cal frowned, but walked with Tony as they made to exit the precinct for a second time.

"Tell me, where is the nearest library?"

"Why are you asking me?" Cal glanced at Tony, confused.

"Because you've been here for almost two days, you should know these things."

"I spent half that time in here." Cal reminded him.

They reached the warm, dry air of the outside. In the walkway, a group of media members were already beginning to form, craving news. Tony and Cal pushed gently through them.

"Hey. Look, over there." Cal tapped Tony's shoulder when they had stopped to scan the other buildings around them.

Tony looked to where Cal was pointing, another wide smile forming on his face. Almost directly across the street from them, up a staircase of granite steps, was the public library.

"Well isn't this just divine." Tony chuckled. He began to cross the street, towards the building, while Cal slowly walked behind him.

"What do you need a library for anyway?"

"Research."

"I thought you said we were going home? I could go without ever seeing this crummy city ever again."

Tony chuckled as they reached the steps.

"You have to come back in less than two weeks anyway for that little court date of yours."

"That's beside the point. What are we doing?"

"I told you, research."

"Researching what?"

"Stop asking so many questions. I told you I'll tell you when the time is right. For now, just shut up and do as I say."

Cal bit his lip to keep from protesting further. He wasn't entirely sure what was going through Tony's crazy head, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out. They entered the library and made their way across the first floor until they reached the computer station.

Tony took a seat in the corner, giving himself some privacy and keeping away from anyone else. Cal stood hovering over his shoulder for a minute, before moving to sit beside him.

"Do me a favor Cal, go make yourself useful." Tony said as he began to type into the computer.

"How?"

"Keep an eye out, and come and get me when the press conference is starting." Tony said while staring at the screen.

Cal stood and sighed.

"Fine." He said, pushing in the chair and walking away.

Tony smiled, his face staring intently at the screen as he typed in his search word; _Agent Jareau._


	5. Foreboding

JJ sat quietly with Hotch and the lead detective on the case, Carl Moses. The team had split up, with Rossi, Morgan and Prentiss going to the most recent dumpsite, and Hotch and JJ staying behind to set up the case board and to prepare for the press conference. As soon as the families arrived, Hotchner told JJ he would help her interview them if time permitted. They now had three families to interview, and he didn't envy her having to ask such personal questions during a time when their grief was so fresh.

"I really hope we don't find another body soon." Moses said quietly as he stared at the board.

"The pattern would suggest that, unfortunately, he'll dump another one tomorrow. This unsub works quickly, however in his rush it means he is likely to slip up somewhere. We just have to find it." Hotchner explained.

JJ sat silently as Hotchner went over with Moses what they had so far. She made short notes to herself in a notebook, making sure to write down important things to mention or leave out for her talk with the media. She twirled the pen in her fingers, watching as the two men discussed case details. Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Putting the pen down, she pulled the phone out and smiled when she saw she had a text message from Spence.

'I just wanted to let you know I landed safely. Missing you already, but I'll see you soon. I love you.'

JJ's smile grew bigger as she read the words.

'Thank you for that, I needed it. I can't wait to see you. Love you!' Her fingers typed the responding message back furiously. When she was done, she pushed the phone back into her pocket and turned her attention back to the two men in front of her.

"Do you think you can handle them outside? They don't exactly pull punches." Moses turned to her as she rejoined them mentally in mid-conversation. JJ smiled wryly and exchanged a look with Hotch.

"JJ's one of the best. She's handled all types. I have every confidence she'll convey the message we're hoping to send." Hotchner said confidently.

Moses glanced at her and JJ simply nodded.

"Good enough for me, I wasn't trying to question your ability to do your job Ms. Jareau, just simply warning that you better be ready."

"No offense taken, but I'll be ready." She confirmed.

The sound of Hotchner's phone ring pierced the air.

"Hotchner." He answered.

"Hotch, it's Morgan. We should be back soon. We recovered some potential evidence at the scene."

"What kind of evidence?"

"The unsub left the girl wrapped in her own blanket. It looked like a quicker, more desperate dump than the photos of the previous two. We think we might have a partial print."

"That's good news. I'll let the others know. We're about to start the press conference."

"Ok sounds good." Morgan said before hanging up his phone.

Hotchner hung up his own phone and turned to JJ and Moses.

"It looks like we might have recovered a partial print at the dumpsite."

"That's good news." Moses said.

"It is, but we can't get our hopes up yet, we still have a long ways to go." Hotchner chided. "JJ, I think it's time."

JJ nodded, pulling on her suit jacket and grabbing her notes as she stood from the table. She took a deep breath to calm herself, doing her best to ignore the pictures of the mutilated children on the bulletin board. It didn't matter how many times she saw them, just looking at the pictures made her sick to her stomach. She wanted to catch this bastard, badly. Her role in doing so, right now, was to knock this press conference out of the park.

Pausing at the main door to the precinct, she took another deep breath before her eyes met Hotch's.

"Ready?" He asked her calmly.

"Ready." JJ confirmed.

Putting on her most powerful, even face, she confidently walked out the door and stood in the middle of the staircase, waiting for the press to take notice and gather. A few moments later, when she had their attention, she was in full press-handling mode.

/

"The press conference is starting." Cal rushed over.

Tony closed out the internet page he had up and stood, nodding his understanding. He followed Cal as they made their way back to the main door, his head going over all the information he had obtained on Agent Jareau.

She _was _just what he was looking for; perfect age, perfect body, smart, confident. She would be a challenge, but he _loved _challenges. The only question that remained was whether or not she was worth the risk, especially if the opportunity didn't present itself and he had to force his hand. She was law enforcement, FBI no less, meaning not only was she trained, but she was surrounded by people who were generally hyper-aware and well guarded. If he made his move, it would have to be well planned and well calculated.

They had reached the outside of the library and now stood at the top of the steps. Cal was staring at him. Obviously the man had asked him a question that had gone unheard, he was awaiting a response.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, did you find what you were looking for?"

Tony smiled, more information on Agent Jareau immediately recalled.

Her first name was Jennifer, a lovely name, and she also went by a nickname, 'JJ'. She was originally from Pennsylvania according to her FBI profile, and she had numerous awards and decorations for her work within the media and the criminal cases she had helped to solve. She wasn't like the others, she was their public face. She used manipulation to put spin on things. He could tell this through some of the articles he had found her quoted in. Her answers to questions were pretty general, only giving information she wanted them to have, just like a politician. She was single, well unmarried, as Tony found it hard to believe such a beautiful woman could truly be available. She also didn't have any kids yet, another major point in her favor in his eyes.

Turning to the man beside him, Tony's eyes gleamed.

"Yes, I think I did; a good place to start, anyway." Tony smiled, knowing the man beside him was clueless to the potential double-meaning of his reply.

"Good, so are we done here now?"

"Hardly." Tony chuckled, taking a seat half way down the granite staircase, watching the blonde give her press conference from afar.

As much as he wanted to be close, he thought it wise to keep his distance for a while. He didn't want to be spotted. He didn't want her to notice him yet. The road had been blocked off for safety reasons during the press conference, so he could make out most of what her sweet voice was telling to the overzealous media.

Cal rolled his eyes and took a seat beside Tony, watching as the man stared across the street. Obviously his attention was on something, what he wasn't entirely sure. He was apparently intrigued by the FBI's presence and this supposed serial killer case the police were working on. Cal started to connect the dots with more confidence as he saw Tony's eyes remaining focused solely on the woman giving the news conference. He had seen this look before. He knew what it was, Tony was infatuated.

Suddenly Cal's heart caught in his throat for a moment. Tony needed a woman. He had been looking for one. He wasn't that stupid though, was he? To go after an FBI agent? Especially if she didn't come willingly which, given she wasn't from around here and likely had a life elsewhere, was probably a distinct possibility. No way, this couldn't happen. If the cattle thing was a minor blip on the radar, this could become a full-blown disaster. _Shit_.

Tony watched her, Agent Jareau, Agent _Jennifer_ Jareau intently. So intently in fact, that to him they were the only two people in the world at the moment. He watched how she addressed the media confidently, never backing down. She answered their questions, willingly. When someone stepped out of line, she put them in their place, either with a look or with her witty tongue.

'She's going to be tough, _really _tough. Tougher than anything you've ever attempted before. You hardly know her, is she worth it?' The question continued to swirl in his head as he watched her, unflinchingly, persistently, giving the media only what she wanted them to have no matter how hard they tried.

'Damn I love a challenge. And that body.' He mused to himself.

He licked his lips as he watched the wind gently play with some of her hair. He brought his eyes down, to her soft face. He had seen from the pictures online that she had the most beautiful blue eyes, so deep and warm. He couldn't see them from this distance, but he could just picture them. Her small nose, her thin, soft lips; he could just imagine how that mouth tasted.

She had such fair skin, no doubt warm, soft and smooth to the touch, creamy to taste.

Tony licked his lips again, dragging his eyes lower down Jennifer Jareau's body as he pictured her. She had a small tight chest to go with her small tight body; he did love a girl who took care of herself and she no doubt did. His eyes stopped at the curve of her waist, the real focus of his physical desires. She had a nice, curved, womanly figure. She wasn't overly curvy, but the curves she did posses were nice and tight, just like she undoubtedly would be.

As she wrapped up the press conference, turning to leave, Tony stared at her backside. Nice, tight and firm-looking, just like the rest of her. He had made his decision. She was just what he was looking for, physically _and _mentally, he _had _to have her. She would be worth the trouble and effort to make it happen. He may have to learn patience, but that was one of the lessons he was supposed to learn through this whole process to begin with. If there was a woman he could be patient with, he was sure it would be her. If he was successful, she would be worth every moment of patience, of effort, that he was going to have to expel.

"Hey, they're done." Cal elbowed Tony, bringing him out of his trance.

"Yes, I can see that." He snapped, a little annoyed that the man beside him had interrupted the fantasies he was having.

"So now what?" The question hung in the air for a while; long enough to watch some of the media pack and leave. Long enough for the road to reopen and the missing FBI agents to return from wherever they had ventured to. Finally, when Tony had come up with a solution that pleased him, he spoke.

"Now, you make it up to me for all the trouble you've caused me." Tony smiled.

/

"Hello, Dr. Reid." The familiar nurse greeted Spencer as he entered the main lobby to his mother's facility.

"Hi Stacy, nice to see you again."

"You're here to visit your mother I presume."

"I am." Spencer nodded as he began to fill in the sign-in log.

"I heard she's taken a step backward recently." He looked up to from the sheet, noticing the sympathetic look Stacy gave him.

"She has, unfortunately. We've been doing all we can for her, but Dr. Williams thinks we might have to give her something a bit stronger. I'm sure he can tell you more when you meet with him."

"Absolutely. Do you mind if I go talk with my mother while I wait for Dr. Williams?"

"No, not at all. Maybe a friendly face is just what she needs. You know where to find her."

"I do, thanks Stacy." Spencer nodded, giving Stacy a small smile before leaving for the recreational room.

When he reached the room he immediately found his mother in her usual spot, sitting in a chair, looking out the window with a book in her lap. Spencer approached her slowly, careful not to startle her.

"Hello mother." Spencer greeted warmly.

Diana looked up, her face brightening when she saw the face of her son.

"Spencer, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"I am, but I wanted to pay you a quick visit. I heard that you needed me."

"I'm always happy to see you Spencer, but you have your own life to live. Why are you here?"

Spencer sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I heard you weren't doing so well, that the hallucinations were getting worse." He said truthfully.

"These doctors don't know what they're talking about. They're nice people, but as soon as you have one nightmare during an afternoon nap they think you've gone off the deep end." She spat.

Spencer stood in front of her, listening, but not fully believing what she was telling him; he had seen this before.

"What was the nightmare about? Did it have to do with Riley again?"

"Spencer, my dreams are my business, just like yours are your own. It was nothing, really. I'm perfectly fine. I'm the same I was last week."

Spencer sighed, taking another deep breath. He knew he could continue to press her for answers, but that it would only make her agitated and angrier. He would just wait for Dr. Williams and see what he had to say first hand.

"What are you reading?" Spencer asked, deciding to change the subject as he looked to her lap.

"Chaucer for the hundredth time, it never gets old."

Spencer smiled a little.

"No, it doesn't; a literary genius." He agreed.

"I wouldn't go that far, Spencer. You'd be a fool to call him a legendary literary mind with some of the prose and structuring of his writings."

Spencer opened his mouth to argue, but realized it could lead to a long debate that he really didn't want to have. He loved his mother, he always would, but seeing her was always a little difficult. Seeing her, dealing with her, always took a lot out of him mentally and emotionally. There was a long silence before Diana spoke.

"So tell me, Spencer, what's new with you? It's hard for me to keep up with you when you are always so far away."

"Everything is good, mother. My job is keeping me busy and active. My personal life outside of work has been as good as it's been in a long time…"

"You are dating, aren't you?"

Spencer paused for a moment. There was something off about the look in his mother's eyes. She was forgetful, but he had told her many times about JJ, it was something he thought she would remember.

"I'm dating JJ, remember?"

"Who is _he_?" Diana asked firmly.

Spencer's mind sputtered a little, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks.

"JJ's a woman, remember? I work with her? We've been dating for a while now. You've met her a few times." He reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet to show her a picture of JJ.

"No! Not her, who is _he_?" Diana asked again, becoming more agitated.

Spencer froze in his place.

"You know I don't like strangers visiting me Spencer. At the very least you should introduce him to me. It's very rude of you not to."

Spencer turned to look over his shoulder in the direction of where his mother was staring. Sure enough, there wasn't anyone there.

"Mother…" He began to protest.

"I don't like the look of him…there's something suspicious about him."

Kneeling down in front of her, Spencer grabbed a hold of his mother's hands, trying to get her attention.

"Mom, listen to me, there is no one there."

Diana's eyes snapped to his, glaring at him.

"I know what I'm seeing Spencer, he's standing right there!"

"There is _no one_ there, mother." He responded after another look over his shoulder.

"Don't you dare patronize me Spencer Reid. I am your mother!"

Spencer sighed, bowing his head as he held her hands gently in his own.

"Something is not right about that man, Spencer." Diana said, her eyes obviously studying the figure she was convinced she saw. "He has evil intentions. He is not a nice man. You need to protect her."

Spencer froze again, nearly shuddering at the chill he felt run up his spine. Diana studied her son's face, noticing how it had paled.

"You _need _to protect her from him." She said again firmly, her eyes boring into his.

"Who…who do I need to protect from him?" Spencer tried. He didn't usually take to heart what she said when she became like this, but what she had said had caught him off guard and taken root in his brain for some reason.

"You know Spencer, you know. If you don't you will soon."

"Mother…"

"You're strong Spencer, you can do this. Just remember that no matter what happens, I will always love you." Diana's hands cupped his cheeks and she gave him a light kiss on the forehead.

"Mom, please…" Spencer pleaded with her, his head spinning.

"Ah Dr. Reid, nice to see you again." Dr. Williams called as he approached them.

Spencer stood, looking at his mother one more time before he faced Dr. Williams. The look on her face told him all he needed to know. The man she saw was gone, the moment was passed. There would be no more answers to what had just transpired.

Spencer would have to shrug it off, putting it aside as just another meaningless episode that he had witnessed. He tried to smile for Dr. Williams as he shook the man's hand, but he had a nagging feeling in the pit in his stomach that _maybe_, just maybe, there was something more to what his mother had just said.


	6. Preparation & Planning

**AN: Thank you all so much for all of your great words. It makes me happy that so many people are enjoying this story and it certainly pushes me to do all I can to try to update as often as possible. There are a couple more chapters of 'setting the scene' left, before we really get into it. Don't worry, this story is just getting warmed up.**

The press conference, while successful, and the evidence, while helpful, had not led to an arrest that day. They were missing something. They still didn't have a definite suspect.

It was getting late in the day and the stress in the room was palpable. They knew that, more than likely, it would take finding another dead child in the morning for them to have another crack at the unsub.

The print had come back inconclusive, a result they had all been dreading. The team scoured through what they had and while there were some connections, they weren't the connections they needed to crack the case. They needed Reid. Although none of them dared voice it, the thought remained in the back of all their minds.

For her part, JJ had interviewed two of the three families. Afterwards, she was able to put up a strong front, even if internally she was an emotional wreck and on the verge of tears. Times like this she hated her job, especially when Spencer wasn't there to help pick her back up.

She had wanted to text him, since she couldn't call and talk to him until she was back at the hotel, but she hesitated. She didn't want to seem needy. She didn't want to distract him or to take away from the situation with his mother. Still, after the second interview, which had been so much tenser than the first one, she couldn't take it, she caved.

'I need to talk to you when I get back to the hotel.'

'Is everything ok?' He asked, responding back surprisingly quickly.

'I'm ok. This case is just wearing on me. I need to hear your voice.' She texted him back.

'I'll be waiting by my phone, call whenever you get the chance. I love you.'

The last text brought a small smile to her face. No matter how down she felt, he always seemed to bring her back up, even with the simplest words.

"Ok, let's wrap this up. We'll start up again in the morning." Hotchner's voice carried through the emptying precinct. They had moved to one of the conference tables in the main room to go over a few talking points.

"I don't like leaving this thing so open ended." Morgan commented.

"I know, but we won't be any good if we aren't well rested. We had a long flight and we've been at this all day. It's almost eleven now. I want everyone back here by seven tomorrow. We all know when he dumps bodies he seems to do it early." Hotchner explained.

"So what is the plan for tomorrow?" Moses asked.

"We ramp up on early morning patrols. Try to catch this guy in the act. Prentiss and Morgan will each pair with an officer and go on patrols so if we do miss this guy, we can respond as quickly as possible." Hotchner looked at them and they both nodded.

"The rest of us will return here. Rossi and I will try to find anything we missed. JJ will work the tip line and interview the final family if we can get them in here."

"Has there been any progress made with that?" JJ asked Moses. He shook his head in the negative.

"Not so far. We had a grief counselor contact them, but they've been holding firm that they want their privacy. They don't want to show up in such a public place yet, especially with all the media hovering around."

"What if we went to see them instead? Visit them where they are more comfortable?" Rossi questioned.

"I mean, I could have someone call them and we could try to set something up for the afternoon. The only problem with that is, as you know, they live kind of far away; a good hour-hour and a half's time from here. I'm not sure if that would be worth the time it takes you to send someone there and back, especially if they don't have much to give us and they're extremely guarded as it is." Moses said.

"I think it's worth a try. Considering their daughter was the first one murdered and they live outside the range of the other two victims. I think it's an interview we have to conduct." Rossi countered.

"Hey, it's up to you. You have their brief statements when we did initially talk to them. If you think they aren't telling you something or that it's worth the trouble, then by all means, go." Moses said more tersely.

"JJ, would you be willing to go? If anyone can console the family and get them to talk, it'd be you." Hotchner looked to his agent.

"Yeah, I can go if you need me to." She sighed, the idea of a long drive to talk to another grief stricken family not at the top of her list at the moment.

"JJ if…" Hotchner began, picking up on her slight hesitation.

"I'm fine Hotch, I can handle it. I'm just tired. It's been a long day." She explained away. Hotchner eyed her for a moment before nodding.

"Ok, so we're all clear?" His question was met with eye contact and slight nods of agreement. "Ok good, let's go get some rest."

The team packed up and walked out of the precinct as a group. They piled into their two SUVs even though the hotel was literally a couple blocks up the road.

JJ shivered slightly before stepping into the SUV. She felt a weird chill in the air. The same chill returned when they arrived outside the hotel and walked inside. She didn't know what it was, but she paid it little mind. She was too focused on her impending call to Spencer.

The group walked inside and took the elevator to the floor where their rooms were located. Once there, they split off into their rooms, for a short nights' sleep. JJ had barely closed and locked her door when she was already dialing Spencer's phone number. On the second ring, the voice she had missed so much filled her ears.

"Hi JJ."

"Hi Spence, sorry I called so late. It's good to hear your voice."

"Don't worry about it. Technically it's an hour earlier where I am anyway." He chuckled awkwardly. "Besides, I know exactly how life works with these cases. How _is _the case going?"

JJ sighed into the phone, sitting down on the bed in exhaustion.

"The press conference I gave went well. We found some evidence. We've made some connections, but not enough to have a hard suspect. Another child is going to turn up dead in the morning." She spoke softly, her voice turning thick with emotion.

"JJ, you're all doing the best you can. You will catch this guy."

"It's just hard. Especially, talking to the families and hearing their stories when the grief is so real, clinging to them almost like their own shadow. It's so heartbreaking."

"JJ, you're the most compassionate person I know. It's one of the reasons I love you so much. If you need to cry, then cry. Don't try to become too strong or hide away your emotions. When you start to do that, you'll lose yourself. You'll become cold and uncaring just like the people we chase."

"Spence I…" Her voice began to crack.

"I know. You wish you could do more…just like you wanted to for me. There's only so much you can do sometimes JJ, so much you can control. All you can do is the best you can, and then eventually, move on. Stay focused on what you need to do to solve the case, but don't stop caring either." His voice was firm, but caring.

He was giving her a pep talk and while he couldn't see with his own eyes if it was helping, he could only pray that it was. It was all he could do until he saw her again and held her tightly in his arms.

"It's ok JJ, I love you." He whispered softly, consoling her.

"I miss you Spence. I know it's silly, it's been less than a day, but we need you. _I _need you." She said quietly.

"I know. I should get there in the morning, I leave first thing."

JJ rubbed her eyes and perked up a little.

"That soon? I didn't even ask how your mom is doing, is she better?"

"They gave her some new meds and they seem to be doing the job. I had a nice talk with her today…about a lot of things. She understands that my job needs me, and that you need me. She also agrees that it's time I move in with you." Spencer thought back to the conversation he had with his mother, after Dr. Williams had given her the new meds.

She made no mention of seeing the same man as before, and she wouldn't even acknowledge that she had said what she had. Instead, she had seemed more normal, like he remembered her to be when she wasn't having episodes. It gave Spencer relief and made him feel more confident that she would be ok again, for the time being at least. As for everything else, Spencer tried to forget and focus elsewhere, his logical mind more than happy to chalk everything up to the delusional episode.

"Really?" JJ was surprised at this, her response snapping back his focus.

"Yes."

"Why did you tell her Spence? She barely knows me. Don't you think it would've been better if I met and discussed it with her before you were going to tell her?"

"You wanted me to move in next week."

"I did, but I didn't realize you were going to tell your mom."

"JJ, what does it matter? She knows who you are you've met a few times before…"

"It matters. What is she going to think of me now? The fact that you are moving in with the girlfriend she's only met a couple times?"

"She knows all about you. I've told her stories, I've shown her pictures. She knows how happy you make me."

JJ sighed, not wanting to argue with him over the phone at such a late hour.

"Fine…its fine. I'm glad she's doing better." She cut the potential argument short.

"JJ if I messed up or did something wrong…"

"It's fine, really. I'm just being irritable I guess. I need some sleep."

"Ok, I'll let you go then."

JJ sighed again, realizing as much as she didn't want to leave his voice, it was for the best.

"Alright, I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too. Sleep well, and stay safe."

"I will, you too." JJ finished, keeping the phone pressed to her ear until she heard him hang up on the other end.

Drawing in a deep breath she rolled herself onto the bed. For a long time she stared at the ceiling, thinking about everything from the case to the impending changes to her relationship with Spencer. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut.

/

Outside of the hotel across the street, Cal walked over to where Tony was standing, leaning against a tree in the courtyard. Tony could tell by Cal's body language and mannerisms that he was hyper-tense.

"Relax Cal. You're going to give yourself a heart attack." Tony said coolly.

Cal found it hard to take the comment lightly. He had just spent most of the afternoon hanging around the precinct, both inside and outside, trying his damndest not to look sketchy and praying he wouldn't be recognized. He still couldn't believe he had agreed to this, not that he had much of a choice. If he wanted to go home, he had to do this; the sooner the better.

"Did you find out anything helpful?"

"You know that wasn't easy, I could've easily been spotted."

"I never said it would be easy. You think driving five hours out of my way to bail your ass out was fun or easy?"

Cal looked down at the ground, kicking a small pebble with his foot.

"Hey, remember what I told you. If you come through on this first part, that pays off half of your debt to me. Now, did you come through?" Tony studied the man's face intently. A slight smile graced his features when he read that Cal had indeed found out something.

"What is it?" He pressed the man.

"It's not definite, but she may be headed out to interview a family at the family's home. They live about an hour and a half from here, back in the direction that we need to head home. I checked the map on where they said they were headed. They'll have to take the same highway we use."

Tony's body language changed to one of excitement.

"That highway can be well travelled, but there are dead spots along it…very desolate areas."

Cal nodded his head in agreement.

"Good, very good." Tony smiled, rubbing his hands together.

He had followed the blonde and her friends back to the hotel, watching her from a distance as she clung close to them. He admired her mannerisms the entire time; the way she walked tiredly yet confidently after the long day, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear to move it off her cheek. She had been completely oblivious to him.

Not so ironically, he had checked them into the hotel across the street from where she was staying. He wasn't dumb enough to use the same hotel. He was taking enough risks as it was, the last thing he needed to do was leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Not that he had been dumb enough to use his real name either. The name he had used had also been a nice little twist of irony.

Cal looked at Tony, seeing that he had again drifted somewhere else. Clearing his throat, he spoke up.

"There are a couple of potential problems."

Tony snapped out of his daze and focused on the man in front of him.

"Such as?"

"Well, for starters there is no guarantee that she will be going."

Tony chuckled.

"We will assume that she is. If she does, that will be the best, and perhaps only, chance we get without having to really overextend ourselves to make this happen."

Cal nodded tentatively.

"Continue, I can tell there is more."

"There is. If she goes, she will likely be accompanied by someone, either a police officer or another FBI agent."

"I've already thought of that, not a problem."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I called Paul. He should be here tomorrow to help us. He's going to pick up a few things and he'll be an extra, bigger body just in case we need him. All set." Tony said confidently.

"So we're really going to do this, in broad daylight?"

Tony chuckled again, taking a step closer.

"How early is she leaving?"

"It's not definite yet. Probably later morning or sometime in the afternoon."

Tony nodded his head as he flipped some peanuts into his mouth and began to chew on them.

"We'll make our move on their way back. It's more likely to be less travelled and if we get lucky, maybe it'll even be dark. It should, hopefully, give us a little more time to clean up and get away."

"That's still kind of risky…you're sure she's worth it?"

"Definitely."

Cal sighed, glancing around him as his mind went deep in thought. Tony could see the apprehension, fear in his face.

"Hey, listen. You did well. If it turns out your information is right, then you're halfway there. You help execute this plan successfully, not only are we even, I'll make it worth your while, financially, if I am satisfied with how this goes."

Cal's face changed a little.

Tony smiled, he knew his little offer would help to motivate and persuade. The man's family needed the money, and Cal was desperate to square things with him.

"You mean that?"

"I already told Paul I would compensate him. If you come through for me…I'm willing to do the same for you. I know how much this would mean to you, now you know how much this would mean to me, how much I want this."

Cal took a deep breath, watching as the wind whistled through the tree in front of them. Finally, Cal pulled himself together and nodded confidently his willingness to continue.

"Ok, let's do this."


	7. Plan Set to Action

**AN: Nice long chapter to help get through the weekend. The next chapter will basically pick up where the prologue left off. Thank you all for sticking with this!**

Paul moved his hand from the wheel to quickly rub at his eyes. The dawn was fast approaching and his long drive was almost over.

It had been a long day, an impossibly long day. In addition to his usual laborious work at the colony, he had a chat with some of the others about Tony. Then, just as he thought his day was finally over, Tony called demanding he come help him with something.

The man, their leader, had promised to fully compensate him for the time and effort it would take, in addition to rewarding him for his efforts. Paul had grudgingly agreed. As much as he didn't want to do it, he still had to keep up the ruse that he respected Tony, that he would follow him to the ends of the earth as so many others in the group would.

Paul was different, he was his own man. He had been a part of the group because he grew up in it. His father had been one of the originals. Now, Tony had fallen into power under circumstances that Paul found to be both invalid and suspicious.

Tony was never one of the originals. Hell, he had only joined the colony some half-dozen years or so ago to become closer to his uncle; the only remaining known family that Tony had. Unfortunately for Paul, despite all of his own personal aspirations, the new presence of Tony had created problems. Tony's uncle was second in line to become leader once the other one died. Sure enough, it happened one day of natural causes.

Tony's uncle became the leader and with enough sucking up from Tony, he was given a higher position than he had earned. He became third in line. There were out cries amongst some in the group, with Paul being one of the loudest. Paul had worked hard. He had been there from the beginning. He was well-known by all the members and well-respected by most of the elders. It didn't matter, Tony's uncle was the leader and he had final say, there wasn't enough support to oppose him.

Out of respect, Tony's uncle made one of the longest-standing elders the second in line, but the damn man was so old he passed on not long after. This made Tony second in line not more than three years after he had joined the colony. It was impossible; the colony had been specifically structured so that something like that couldn't happen. And yet, it had.

Paul saw only one option to help fight off the inevitable; become close with Tony. He had to become one of Tony's most trusted and loyal men, as much as it killed him inside. Paul worked hard, he stuck close by Tony as the man continued to learn and preach the ways of the colony. They became closer, even as the mental barrier remained for Paul. Then, things took a turn.

Two years ago, five years after Tony joined the colony, his uncle died of suspicious causes. He was trampled by a stampede of cattle early one morning. Why the uncle was out there so early and what had caused the stampede that day remained a mystery. Not only did they lose their leader that day, but they lost a bunch of cattle, some that they would never recover. Regardless, despite whisperings in the colony and a so-called "investigation" into what happened, Tony became leader.

This angered Paul more than anything. He had been very tempted to challenge Tony's legitimacy as leader. He had been ready to confront the man before the collective group. But before he could do it, he stopped himself. If he lost the challenge he could lose everything; his standing within the group, his home, his financial worth. Although he was still single, the rest of his family would be shamed, it was something no family in the colony could easily recover from. So, instead, Paul gritted his teeth, and continued the route of respectful follower to Tony.

The other members knew how hard this was for Paul, and if something happened to Tony, or he proved to be a poor leader, he would have the respect and support of most of the group. For now, he had to just ride this out and do the grunt-work necessary, as much as he hated it. His discussion with some of the others had gone well, he reminded himself. They agreed that while Tony had done an ok job of running the colony, the fact that he was leading without a woman by his side was a problem. If he didn't find one soon, they would remove him from his position. It was one of the ground rules of being leader, and Tony had been able to work his way around it.

When he first became leader, he found this pretty young thing, a brunette, with which to have by his side. However, she soon proved to be uninterested in Tony, and what he had to offer. She had grown up in the colony, she knew how the process worked, and yet she was so uninterested in Tony that she had been willing to give up everything she could've potentially had in order to get away from him. She ended up marrying someone else, a man at the bottom of the social structure. The woman now spent her days assigned to some of the dirtiest cleaning jobs a woman could have within the group.

The second woman was different. She had been an outsider with fair skin and light hair. Tony tried his hardest to break her and although she eventually did break, _he_ was the one that became tired of her. He gave her away to another man in the colony who had a lot more interest in her. In return, Tony was able to gain the man's unrelenting loyalty; that man's name was Cal. Cal and the woman had two kids together. It had been difficult, but she had learned that the group was, and forever would be, her new family.

The third, and most recent woman, was another insider. Again, Tony was unable to woo her. He was too "aggressive" for her. Despite pleas from her family, she refused him. Tony, angry that he had again been rejected and becoming desperate as he knew his time was getting short, had done all he could to convince her otherwise. She wouldn't have it.

When Tony continued to pressure her, daily, not taking no for an answer, it became too much. Given the choice between accepting Tony or forever being harassed by him while living a life of squalor like the first woman, the third woman decided on a third option; she hung herself. This had shaken the colony to its core. Suicide, while generally frowned on no matter the culture, was especially rare for this group considering how tight-knit and belief-based they were. If someone in the group died, it was generally of old age or something darker and more horrific that most generally turned a blind eye to. Regardless, as a result of the suicide, rumors began to swirl and calls for Tony to be removed began.

Paul privately had made his own push for Tony's removal, while publically showing his support for the man. It had been almost three weeks since the suicide. After his own talk with some of the elders, they agreed to meet with Tony and give him an ultimatum. If he couldn't find a woman that made him happy, one that he could keep by his side and treat right, then he would be removed. He had one more shot it was understood by all involved. Tony was becoming desperate.

Paul looked up to the roadside sign as he passed it, the buildings in the distance becoming more clear in the early dawn, he was finally entering Guymon, Oklahoma. He slowed the SUV he was driving a little. The last thing he needed was to get cited for a speeding ticket.

He didn't know specifically why Tony had called him to this place, but given all that had taken place and the things Tony had told him to purchase, Paul could fathom a good guess. Using the road signs as a guide, Paul made his way into the center of town. It would only be another few minutes until he met up with Tony and Cal.

/

Tony stood outside his hotel, back in the same courtyard as he had been the previous night. He had almost been too excited to sleep.

Today was the day, failure was not an option. He had thought through all the different scenarios throughout the night. He knew he was taking a big risk, that everything could go south in a heartbeat. He could get killed or spend the rest of his life locked up depending on if this didn't work; losing his position as leader within the colony. He knew his time was short, he had a lot riding on this; it had to work. If it did, perhaps finally, he would get the respect, the _true_ loyalty he felt that he deserved. He would have the power he desired and he would have _her _by his side.

Tony stared across the street to the hotel the FBI was staying at. It was six-thirty. They would be coming out any moment, he would get to see her again; the angel he dreamed about when he had caught a few moments of sleep. Paul should arrive soon too. Everything would be put into motion in just a few hours.

Tony took another sip from the juice glass he held. Finally, he spotted movement. Slowly he walked around the courtyard in an attempt to blend in, his eyes remaining focused across the street.

The stern-looking Agent Hotchner came out first, followed closely by the brunette and African-American agents. Next came the older man and then finally, a few steps behind, was Jennifer Jareau. She looked lovely with her long hair down, professionally dressed in a button-down blouse and pants suit. She looked even more attractive in that blouse than she had in the low-cut cotton shirt she had worn the day before, if it were even possible.

Tony licked his lips as he watched her move towards the SUV. She tucked some loose hair behind her ear, notably out of habit as he remembered he had seen her do it the previous night as well. She stepped inside, pulling the door shut behind her. Seconds later the two SUVs were off, headed towards the precinct to start another long day of work.

Tony moved to the sidewalk, watching the chariot that held his woman as it disappeared into the distance. He could hear footsteps approaching him from behind, no doubt Cal's. Turning, he faced and greeted the man.

"Good morning Cal. Are you ready for the big day?" He smiled.

"Yeah, I'm ready to do this." He replied firmly, although not entirely convincingly.

"That's the spirit!" Tony chuckled, patting the man on the shoulder. Just then, they saw a vehicle come to a stop in front of them on the sidewalk. Both men stood side by side as the driver of the black Ford Explorer shut off the ignition and stepped out.

The man who walked over to them was imposing physically. He was a buff six-foot four and while he was relatively handsome, he had a tough, rugged look about him. His brown eyes looked tired when he met theirs, his dark hair messy and greasy from a long day of work.

"Tony, Cal." He nodded, speaking in a deep, heavy voice that fit his appearance perfectly. He shook both men's hands respectfully.

"Glad you could make it Paul, you made good time. I trust you picked up the items I requested?"

"I did. I'm guessing you've found your next woman." Paul responded boldly.

Tony smiled wryly; he couldn't be surprised that Paul had figured things out. The man was bold, straight to the point, and smart, one of the reasons he kept Paul close, even if they had their problems from time to time.

"That's why I love you Paul, you know how I think. I have indeed found another woman, and I am convinced that she is the one."

Paul eyed Tony skeptically, he had heard this before.

"You were kind of vague about everything. Would you care to fill me in?"

"If all goes according to plan, she will be leaving to interview a family at said family's house. The plan is to grab her on the way back along route sixty-four, preferably in an isolated area. First, you will watch to see if she is indeed leaving the precinct. If she is as Cal believes she will be, you will follow from a distance, scouting prime locations along the way. When it appears she is ready to return, you will race ahead and set up the trap. If all goes according to plan, things should go smoothly."

Paul looked over to Cal, noticing the man didn't appear to be nearly as confident about the plan.

"To help, you'll make sure you grab the plate number of the SUV she takes and attach a GPS tracker to the vehicle, which is why I asked you to pick one up. You have it, right?" Tony had continued.

"I did, but it wasn't cheap as I'm sure you know."

"It'll be worth the cost."

Paul frowned a little.

"I thought I heard you say the word "precinct". Exactly who is this woman?"

Tony pursed his lips a little, knowing Paul may object when he found out the woman he was after worked for law enforcement. He had to be honest however. Paul wouldn't go along with this if there were too many surprises.

"She works for the FBI. Her name is Jennifer Jareau. She may be trained similar to other agents, but she deals with politics and the media more than anything. She's petite too. There's no way you couldn't subdue her, especially with Cal helping."

Paul glared at Tony, trying to hide some of what he was truly thinking at the moment. He didn't like the idea of snatching someone connected to the government and law enforcement. However, maybe this would prove to be the break he needed.

If Tony was willing to push this far, then he clearly recognized that his time was almost up. Tony was desperate. Snatching a second outsider in less than three years would certainly alarm some of the members. If Tony couldn't make it work with this girl, then there would be no way he would be allowed to stay on as leader.

Paul would do this, despite the risk, but only because he recognized how easily things could fall apart for Tony if he failed a fourth time.

"Ok Tony. I'll do it. However, I noticed there wasn't a "we" the whole time you were describing the plan to me. Where will you be exactly?" Paul asked as he stared hard at Tony.

"_I_ am returning home so I can alert the others and prepare for our new guest's arrival. I know there have been whisperings about my inability to find someone. However now I will be able to provide them with every assurance that I have, indeed, found the one." Tony said confidently with a slight smile.

"You won't be helping us?" Cal said with the surprise evident in his voice. Tony's statement had obviously been news to him as well.

Tony appeared completely un-rattled as he continued to speak.

"I have every confidence in you two. You are two of my best, most loyal men. As such, I feel I am paying you accordingly." Tony made sure to remind them both.

Paul and Cal exchanged slightly skeptical glances, before both nodding in agreement.

"Good. Paul, you're as smart as they come. I'm sure you can figure things out and make this work, probably better than I can, especially if you have to act on the fly. Cal you will continue to scout the precinct. Both of you will be ready to move as soon as the moment calls for it. We _are_ grabbing this woman today. If she doesn't go on the interview, come up with a plan to get her alone. Call the precinct, trick her into coming out, whatever." Tony looked back and forth between both men, making sure they both understood.

"Cal, make sure you point her out to Paul, and fill him in on any and everything. No detail is too small. Everything is vital and must be considered to make this work. _They_ are smart people. Don't fuck this up. As I told you both, if you come through for me, I will more than make it worth your while. I _will_ have Jennifer Jareau in my presence today, understood?" Tony stated vehemently. Both men looked at each other and nodded.

"Good. The Explorer is the transport vehicle. I'm taking my truck back now. I'm leaving this in your hands. Make me happy."

"We'll get it done Tony, don't worry." Paul reassured him.

"I have no doubt that you will. Just make sure you keep her pretty for me." Tony smiled slyly.

/

It was mid-day, just after noon to be exact, and Jennifer Jareau was preparing to head off to interview the first family. After multiple attempts, the family had finally agreed to the interview, provided it was done in the safety of their own home. While JJ wasn't thrilled at having to go so far out of town to talk with the family, she understood their need for privacy, and she was just happy that they had been able to make some headway with the people.

The morning had proven to be stressful, going exactly as the team had predicted. Another child had been dumped, found shortly after Morgan and Prentiss had joined the patrols. It was a very frustrating development; they had been so close to catching their unsub in the act, and yet they had failed. Now, they had to process the scene as quickly as possible, before the criminal struck again.

While most of the team met at the scene to gather evidence, JJ hung back at the precinct with Hotch, going over questions he wanted her to ask the family. The table in front of them was covered in papers containing facts and theories on the case as they tried to link the evidence. They were interrupted from their thoughts when Detective Moses entered the room, a young man following close behind.

"Agents, this is Sherriff's Deputy Allen Brewer. I've assigned him to accompany Ms. Jareau on the interview with Juanita Suarez's parents." Moses introduced. Both agents stood and shook the young man's hand firmly.

"I realize Agent Jareau can handle the interview, I just figure it can't hurt to have an extra body to help just in case. Mr. Brewer grew up not far from here and he knows the area and terrain like the back of his hand." Moses praised as Brewer stood before the agents confidently.

"That's reassuring. You better be a good driver." JJ warned as she sized him up.

Brewer's lips curled into a smile.

"I assure you ma'am, I'll get you there and back in one piece."

"Ok, if not I'll drive. And please, don't call me 'ma'am'. 'Agent Jareau' is appropriate."

"I'll remember that." Brewer nodded.

The group stood in a circle for another moment before Hotchner led the way out into the main room. He turned to JJ, gently placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Be careful out there JJ. If you need anything, anything at all, be sure to call me directly. I'll keep my cell on as you know."

"Of course, but we both know this is just a standard interview. With any luck, we should be back in time for dinner." JJ smiled, turning to Brewer who nodded his head in affirmation.

"Ok, good luck…" Hotchner was just finishing when another man entered the room, catching his eye.

JJ turned to see what had caught Hotch's attention. When she saw what he did, her heart fluttered and her eyes brightened.

"Spence!" She called excitedly when she saw him approaching.

Spencer walked in a straight line, directly to her, his eyes never leaving hers. Just the site of her, reminded him even more of how much he had missed her, of how happy he was to see her again. They embraced each other in a quick, firm hug, doing all they could to keep things professional in front of the other officers and their superior. JJ licked her lips as her eyes found his again, the desire to kiss him, almost too much.

"It's good to have you back, how's your mother?" She asked, stepping back to make the distance between them more acceptable.

"She's doing better. I'll probably have to go check on her again soon, but for the time being her doctors are keeping me updated. I know you guys need me here. There wasn't much else I could do for her at this point."

"As long as you didn't rush back too quickly, it's good to have you back Reid." Hotchner confirmed.

"Would you like to get me up to speed?" He asked, looking from one face to another in front of him.

"These two gentlemen here are Detective Moses, and Deputy Brewer. Mr. Moses is heading up the investigation. Deputy Brewer is traveling with JJ to interview the parents of one of the victims." Hotchner explained.

Immediately Spencer's attention turned to Brewer, his eyes doing their best to discreetly size the man up who would be spending time with his girlfriend.

"I can go if you need me to." Spencer offered, drawing a barely-visible smile from JJ.

"I'd prefer you stay here, Reid. We need your head to catch this guy and I need some time to catch you up to speed. We're having a hard time connecting all of the evidence we have so far."

Spencer felt disappointed but didn't show it. He knew Hotch was right. JJ was a smart girl, if anyone could defend herself, he knew she could. Slowly, he nodded his head, his eyes briefly moving to the bulletin board they had set up. JJ reached out and touched his arm lightly.

"I have to go, but I'll see you soon. It's good to have you back." She said softly.

Spencer smiled.

"How about we grab dinner tonight after you get back?" He offered.

"Sounds good, I can't wait." She smiled warmly.

Turning, she walked next to Brewer out of the precinct. Spencer stared after them until they were out of sight. He had just seen her, but it had been all too brief. Now this time she was the one who was gone, and he was going to have to wait, as patiently as he could, until she returned.

/

Cal saw the pair walking towards him and quickly rushed across the street in the direction of where Paul was parked. At first he had almost missed them, his mind complacent and becoming bored from waiting as morning began to shift to afternoon. He managed to leap into the Explorer without being seen, just before Agent Jareau and an officer walked out the main doors to the precinct.

"I'm assuming that's her." Paul stated plainly, his eyes staring in the direction that Cal had just come from.

"Yeah, that's her." Cal confirmed, catching his breath from his seat on the passenger's side.

Paul appraised the woman and he had to admit, Tony had picked a pretty good one. She was arguably the prettiest one yet, certainly a better looker than Cal's wife. He watched as they hopped into a black official-looking SUV and pulled out into the street.

Starting the ignition Paul sighed.

"Here we go, I hope you're ready." He said, turning to Cal.

The man nodded, his eyes staring straight ahead.

"You remembered the tracker, right?"

"Yeah I put it on the outside, underneath the passenger's side."

"How did you know which vehicle they would use?"

"I didn't, so I stuck one on both."

Paul eyed Cal for a moment.

"What? What was I supposed to do? It was bad enough trying to do it right in front of a damn police station. If you had an easier way you should've spoken up."

"It's fine. You're lucky they have different signals so we can distinguish them. By the time they find the tracker on the other SUV we should be long gone at least." Paul glared.

Cal simply shook his head, frustrated.

"How about you turn on the device so we can monitor if it's working?" Paul snapped a little.

Cal rolled his eyes but did as he was told. Sure enough, after a moment, a blip representing the SUV a few hundred feet in front of them showed up on the handheld screen.

"It's working, see we're in business."

Paul looked over and nodded his approval.

"When we get a little farther you need to help me scout out some spots." He said with a yawn.

"You too tired to drive?" Cal questioned.

"No I'm ok. I napped a little while I was waiting for you. It's been a long freaking day and a half and now I have to drive another hour or more."

"I can drive back once we have her." Cal offered.

"I might take you up on that offer."

There was silence for a while as they made their way out of the city and onto the highway. Buildings and landmarks became sparser the farther out they went.

"I'm going to have to let them get farther ahead of us soon, I don't want them to become suspicious. " Paul stated.

"The tracker's still working." Cal confirmed.

"I know Tony made this sound like it would be kind of easy, but things can turn quickly. We both have to stay focused and on our toes."

"Have you ever done anything like this before?" Cal questioned. He knew of Paul, some of the things he had done, his time in the colony, how he was respected. If anyone could get a job done, it was the man next to him.

"You mean kidnapping? Hell no. I wouldn't say I'm against it, completely. But I wouldn't do it on a whim like this. The only reason I'm doing this is because Tony's the leader and there's money involved." Paul said, not telling the full truth of his reasons.

"So how do you seem like you know what you're doing?"

Paul let out a deep, throaty chuckle.

"Because Cal, it's pretty much just like hunting. Only this time we're not hunting an animal and we're not hunting to kill. You stalk the prey, set the trap, anticipate the prey's reaction, and then you strike when you are sure you have the upper hand. Tony understands that. We blitz them when they least expect it, when there's no help to be had, and we have an advantage. We take out the main threat, the deputy, first. Once he's subdued it should be easy."

"You think so?"

"Yes I do. Especially if we are able to somehow keep up the element of surprise after we take out the deputy."

Cal sighed looking out the window.

"I really don't like the idea of killing someone."

Paul turned and glared at his passenger.

"I don't have any intention of killing anyone. If we do this right, we can take out the deputy before he sees us and nobody dies. The harder part will be taking down the target without too much force if she sees us before we get to her."

"I still can't believe we're doing this." Cal groaned.

"Hey, we've got this. I need you with me and I need you to be confident, get it? No slip ups."

Cal turned and nodded quietly, fear still resting in the pit of his belly.


	8. Gone

It was late. _Too late._

Spencer Reid hadn't even realized what time it was until he noticed how the precinct had begun to empty out. He had been too focused on the case to take note of the many things happening around him.

Hotch had caught him up to speed, and Spencer had immediately gone to the map on the bulletin board to help his visual process, to make connections. Their unsub had been sloppier with how he had dumped the most recent body, leaving behind a lot more evidence than any other dumpsite. They were getting closer, but they still weren't there yet. If they didn't come up with a more focused list of suspects, then another child would go missing soon. With each passing hour the pressure increased; on them and on local law enforcement as the outside world clamored for the evil culprit to be found and brought to justice.

Spencer ran a hand through his hair as he stared at the same board he had been looking at for hours, a stack of papers in his hand that he leafed through and compared from time to time. When he finally tore his eyes from the board, and took a moment to scan the precinct, he had a sinking feeling in his gut that something was amiss.

JJ's wasn't back.

It was getting late and she should've been back a while ago. He had mentally calculated how long it would take her to get there, interview the family, and come back in a reasonable amount of time just before she had left. It was just one of many things his always active mind thought about.

JJ had texted him around four saying the interview was taking a while and that it could be late before she returned. The family wasn't being all that cooperative and JJ was doing her best to console them and break down the mental walls that had formed. Spencer had simply replied with something encouraging, telling her to take all the time she needed. After that, Garcia called with some important information regarding the case, and he had absent-mindedly left his phone on the table, too focused on the new information to pay it much attention.

Now, Spencer's eyes looked up to the wall clock; it was after nine.

'_Something's not right.'_ A voice in his head whispered.

He moved quickly to the table, shuffling papers, searching for his phone buried under the mess on the table. Finally, he found it. Looking at the screen, he found he had multiple messages from JJ. The last one, the most important one, sent just moments before, telling him the SUV she was in had just sustained a flat and that it would be a bit longer until they made it back.

At first Spencer sighed in relief; she was ok, she was on her way back, he had just missed the messages. However as he stood in the silent precinct and let the information wash over him for a moment, the nagging feeling still remained.

'I should call her.' He thought, immediately speed-dialing her number.

He waited impatiently as the phone rang in his ear, his lanky legs pacing near the table. She didn't pick up, it went to voicemail.

"Hey JJ it's me. Just checking to make sure you are ok, please give me a call back when you get this, I'm starting to get a little worried. Thanks, I love you." Spencer sighed, pressing the 'end call' button on his phone.

His eyes scanned the precinct, watching as the rest of the team had gathered at the far end, discussing something about the case with Moses. He told himself that he was just tense. The last two days had been trying, between his mother, this case, and the lack of sleep. Still, as he thought about JJ, as he considered trying to call her again, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

He shivered at the sudden chill in the air he felt, even though logically, the room was the same temperature it had been mere moments before when he had been ensconced with the case.

'Pull it together Spencer.' He scolded himself, his brain running through all the symptoms of sleep deprivation, reminding himself that it led to higher levels of stress on the body and mind.

Still, he couldn't stop the thoughts, the worry. Every time, the same words rang in his ear, the illogical words of his mother from that first conversation he had with her.

"_You need to protect her from him." _

He had to call JJ again.

His finger went back to the same button on his phone and he pressed it to his ear. It went to her voicemail again.

Spencer couldn't stand around and wait, not when he felt like something could be wrong. He would never forgive himself if he had been complacent while something terrible happened to his girlfriend. Walking swiftly, he approached the group at the far end of the room as they began to split for the night.

"Reid, we're going to call it a night in a few." Hotchner told him as he saw the young genius approach.

Spencer nodded, watching as Prentiss and Rossi walked with Moses in the direction from which he had just came.

"Do you mind if I borrow one of the SUVs?" He asked abruptly.

Hotchner eyed him for a moment, taking note for the first time at how stressed the young man's face looked.

"JJ has the other one. She should be back any minute. Is there a reason?" Hotchner reminded.

"I just want to go check on her. She sent me a text about fifteen-twenty minutes ago saying she got a flat tire. I just tried to call her a couple of times and it keeps ringing and going to voicemail. I want to make sure she's ok and that she doesn't need help."

Hotchner looked slightly more worried, but hid it pretty well. Without much hesitation he nodded his approval.

"Yes go check on her. I'm sure she's fine, she is with Detective Brewer, but it wouldn't hurt to check. We can always grab a cab or get another car."

Spencer pursed his lips and nodded his appreciation.

"Do you need some company?" Morgan offered, having overheard their conversation as he stood off to the side.

"I think that would be a good idea." Hotchner voiced before Spencer had a chance to respond.

"Uh, sure, I could use some company." Spencer nodded. "Thanks Hotch."

"No problem. When you get back just head straight to the hotel, tomorrow is going to be another early day." He reminded them.

"Will do." Morgan agreed, turning and walking beside Reid as they left the precinct.

/

The ride on the dark highway had generally been quiet. Both agents were tired and Morgan could tell by the look on Reid's face that he was tense.

"Hey relax genius. I'm sure she's fine." He offered, his eyes glancing off the road for just a moment.

Spencer had tried calling JJ two more times since they had left the precinct, and each time it had rung until it went to voicemail. It was just after ten now.

"I hope so Morgan, she's still not answering her phone, we both know that's not like her."

"Maybe they're in a dead zone. She might not have reception."

"She was able to text me earlier, she told me about the flat."

"Maybe they didn't have a spare and they had to walk, or hitch a ride."

"Really Morgan? I think she's smarter than that." Spencer looked at him incredulous.

"Hey, she's with that deputy. That might've been their only option. At least he knows his way around here." Morgan defended.

Spencer sighed, staring back out the window, his eyes feverishly looking for any sign of JJ. He had calculated about where along the highway she would've broken down based off the texts she had sent him, particularly the one saying she had just left the victim's parent's house. They would be there at any moment. He had to stay focused on searching the dark road. On the rare occasion they came upon a set of headlights coming towards them, Spencer would immediately perk up, checking to see if it was her not that he could see much.

"You're tired Reid. I'll admit I'm a little worried too, but if it turns out to be nothing, which it will more likely than not, then you're going to feel silly." Morgan glanced over again.

"I'd rather be wrong, look silly, and care, than not care and have something happen to her." Spencer shot back defensively.

"Hey, easy. I'm just trying to make you feel better. I know you're stressed. I'm trying to make you breathe easy. It's not going to help anyone if you have a heart attack."

Spencer sighed, trying his damndest to calm down a little.

"You're right Morgan, I'm sorry. It's just I really love her."

"I know you do."

"And I can't shake this feeling that something is wrong, it doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know…there's just something…" he trailed off, stopping himself before he told Morgan the story about his mother that had him a little spooked. He already knew Morgan would say the same thing the logical side of his brain was telling him; that his mother had an episode and that he shouldn't read anything into it.

Morgan looked at Reid, his face becoming worried as he saw the man beside him drift. He turned back to the dark road, staring into the dark abyss that was lit only by his headlights. He hoped JJ was ok, that nothing bad had happened. If something did happen, he had every faith that JJ and the deputy would be able to protect themselves sufficiently. Still, as tired as he was beginning to feel, he wouldn't rest until they found her.

Morgan turned to check on Reid one more time when the young genius startled him.

"Morgan stop!" He yelled, bolting upright and pointing to Morgan's side of the road just as they whizzed by.

Morgan jammed on the brakes, leaving rubber on the road as he did.

"Turn around!" Reid said frantically.

"Ok, ok hang on. Just give me a minute." Morgan ordered sternly, moving the SUV to the side and starting a three-point turn in the middle of the road.

"What did you see?" He asked as he maneuvered the SUV expertly.

"Just look." Spencer said his breathing coming out in bursts as he pointed in front of them. The turned around SUV shown lights onto a parked SUV just off to the side of the highway.

"Shit." Morgan cursed when he saw the familiar SUV, any of his doubts confirmed when he saw the license plate on the vehicle.

"I knew it!" Spencer said fearfully as he moved to grab the door handle to the still-moving SUV.

"Wait, this doesn't tell us anything yet. Let's try to keep it together." Morgan reminded as he moved to park behind it.

"No! Stay on the pavement!" Spencer hollered.

"Why?"

"If something did happen you could destroy any evidence left in the gravel around her SUV."

Morgan nodded, realizing Reid was right. He pulled the SUV up beside JJ's and they both looked in, noting how dark and empty it looked. Taking a deep breath, they both looked at each other before stepping out and un-holstering their weapons.

Spencer opened the drivers' side door first as Morgan stood beside him, it was empty, no sign of trouble. Together they rounded the SUV cautiously, searching the area around them as they approached the passenger's side. Spencer whipped the door open as Morgan covered him.

Immediately Spencer's heart dropped at what he saw. Sitting on the floor was JJ's suit jacket. On instinct he reached for it, potential finger prints be damned.

Morgan groaned, realizing they indeed had a situation as Reid went through the pockets and pulled out JJ's belongings, placing them on the seat; her phone, her badge, her credentials, her jewelry. Her holster was on the floor, having previously been covered by the jacket. They all meant one thing and it wasn't that JJ had gone hitch hiking or had bumped a ride.

"Try not to disturb anything too much. We can't afford to lose any evidence." Morgan reminded the shaking man in front of him quietly.

Spencer held JJ's necklace tightly in his hand, his fingers rubbing it worriedly as he stared at it absently. He could swear that it was still warm from her body heat. He felt on the verge of breaking down; he was devastated.

He quickly reminded himself that he had to pull it together. First off, nothing was certain. Secondly, if his worst fears had indeed taken place, then JJ would need him to be at his most focused. He glanced up, his eyes searching out for Morgan who had finished checking the backseat and who was now moving towards the trunk of the car.

He needed to help Morgan. They had to look for evidence. Spencer redrew his gun, following Morgan as he prepared to pop the hatch. Just as he was about to, his friend paused.

"Morgan?" Spencer looked at him quizzically, his eyes trying to follow where Morgan's were focused on the ground.

Then he saw it.

Suddenly, he felt even more nauseous. Right next to the clearly shredded driver's side rear tire was a small pool of blood, from it a trail of droplets that led to the trunk. Spencer and Morgan exchanged a fearful look. They were now both worried that their friend's dead body could be in the back of that trunk. It was a sight that no matter how hard they tried to mentally prepare, they still wouldn't be ready for.

Morgan nodded to Reid to open the hatch, both of them holding their guns at the ready. On the count of 'three' Spencer pressed the handle and pulled it open as Morgan stepped forward with his gun pointed.

They both lowered their weapons when their eyes processed the sight in front of them. The body in front of them was not JJ's but rather that of Deputy Brewer's. Spencer breathed a small sigh of relief that JJ was likely still out there somewhere, alive, although what state she was in he really didn't want to think about.

"He still has a pulse. Looks like he sustained a head wound from blunt-force trauma. I'll call for paramedics if you can call Hotch to get the team out here." Morgan offered as he holstered his weapon and pulled out his phone.

Spencer silently nodded, copying Morgan's actions. He waited a few moments until his boss' voice came over the line.

"Hotchner."

"Hotch, we need you and the team out here with some crime scene techs…JJ's missing. There's no sign of her and her belongings were left behind in the SUV. We found Deputy Brewer unconscious in the trunk with a head injury. Morgan's calling the paramedics now." Spencer said hurriedly, trying his hardest to keep his voice even.

There was a drawn out silent pause from the other end of the phone.

"Ok. We'll be right there." Hotchner answered firmly and hung up the phone.

Spencer pocketed his phone, running a hand through his hair as he began to pace.

"Medics are on the way." Morgan announced as he walked back over to his friend. Spencer nodded slightly, not meeting the other man's eyes.

"We'll find her Reid, I promise you." Morgan said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Spencer didn't respond, his gaze focused on the SUV and the small pool of blood on the ground.

"As soon as the team gets here we'll have to process the scene as quickly as we can, JJ might not have a lot of time."

Morgan nodded. Seeing that there wasn't much he could do to console the young genius at the moment, he moved back to the SUV where Brewer was. Taking off the young deputy's jacket, he ripped a sleeve from the man's shirt.

Although the bleeding had slowed considerably, he thought it best to apply pressure and attempt to bandage the man. They needed to keep this man alive in case he had seen something or knew of JJ's whereabouts.

Morgan wrapped the cloth firmly around the man's head. When he was done, he checked Brewer's pulse one more time for good measure, happy to see that it was still beating.

Standing, he waited patiently, listening intently for the sound of sirens in the distance. He looked back to his teammate worriedly, watching as Reid stood of to the side, staring into the dark distance blankly.


	9. Working The Scene

**AN: I realize some of this lead up has been a bit slow, but I promise the action WILL pick up. Some of you may also think I've been skimping on the JJ parts the last few chapters, but you WILL see a lot of her coming soon. I did my best not to skip over anything and this is JJ-JJ/Reid centric so you will get plenty of both!**

The team made it out to the crime scene quickly, although for Spencer it felt like ages. The SUV driven by Rossi led a convoy of police cars and ambulances to the spot where Morgan and Reid stood waiting.

"What do you have?" Hotchner asked as he walked over.

"From what we've been able to gather so far, it looks like the SUV did suffer a flat tire. Beyond that, we don't know _exactly_ what happened." Morgan began to explain.

"We found Deputy Brewer in the trunk although he appears to be alive. As for JJ…" Morgan paused, looking at Reid as he stood on the outside of the circle that had gathered. "There's no sign of her. We found her suit jacket in the passenger's side with her credentials, badge, phone and jewelry. We also found her holster but there's no sign of her gun."

"Why would someone do this?" Prentiss asked.

"It sounds like whoever did this targeted her." Rossi spoke up as he analyzed the information.

"I agree, but what I'm saying is why? Unless she was being stalked or someone had seen her before hand, it would seem odd for her to be targeted…we've barely been here for two days. As far as I know JJ doesn't have any history here." Prentiss responded.

"Maybe it's related to the case? Maybe the unsub or whoever took her saw her press conference and it triggered something?" Morgan questioned.

"That would be a big step from abducting and killing children, most unsubs don't make that type of leap, unless he thought she was taunting him through the press." Rossi pondered.

"I don't think it's related to the case at all." Spencer spoke up quietly.

"Why not Reid?" Hotchner asked.

"Because given everything we know about our unsub this doesn't fit. He kills children as a way to get off. How would specifically targeting and abducting an FBI agent in the middle of nowhere help him reach that end? His focus _is _children."

"Are you saying you think this was done at random?" Prentiss asked.

"I'm saying perhaps it was, but she was still the target. Whoever took her wasn't interested in a man, they took _her_. Why else would whoever took her simply leave Brewer behind, alive, when they could have just as easily taken him too? The unsub left her things behind for a reason as well."

"To force her to leave her identity behind." Hotchner stated.

"Whoever took her has a purpose for doing so, it could be personal, not for her, but to him." Rossi said.

"The good news is if that's the case, then more than likely the whole reason behind JJ's abduction wasn't to kill her, at least not right away." Morgan said.

Hotchner nodded.

"That means we have more time to find her, that as long as she is compliant and plays the role he wants her to play, she should be alive."

The rest of the team nodded in agreement, surveying the scene.

"The problem is, especially if this was random, then how do we find her?" Rossi posed the question.

"We start by getting whatever evidence we can from the scene. Hopefully once Brewer wakes up he can give us more information. We should also send someone back to the Suarez house, see if they noticed anyone or anything suspicious." Hotchner said.

"Do you think they had something to do with it?" Moses asked as he joined the group.

"I think it's highly unlikely, but we have to consider all avenues." Rossi replied.

"Ok so let's recreate the scene. I'm driving down the highway, all of a sudden I get a flat and have to pull over." Morgan began.

"The flat certainly looks intentional judging by the markings. But what could've caused it?" asked Prentiss.

"My guess would be some sort of gun. If they placed a sharp object in the middle of the road then the front tire would likely be punctured too. Also, they would risk taking out other cars and not the intended target." Morgan answered.

"It couldn't be a handgun though. At the rate of speed they are headed and given the likely distance the bullet would have had to travel to be effective." Prentiss answered.

"Maybe a hunting rifle. It certainly wouldn't be uncommon out here and just the sound of one is so common that it would go unnoticed if anyone were to hear it." Moses said.

"It certainly looks like it could fit the mark, although we won't know for sure until we know the caliber of the bullet. We'll have to wait until the crime scene techs bring the tire back to the lab." Rossi said.

"At such a speed how would they know JJ is in the car beforehand? They had to be traveling at least sixty-sixty-five." Prentiss said as she stood from her crouched position next to the tire. "Either they would have to know what the car she was riding in looked like, or they would've had to pull up alongside and peak in."

"So she had to be targeted." Spencer mumbled quietly.

"It would be more of a long shot if they just _got lucky_." Rossi agreed.

"Then we will assume the premise that she was indeed the target. Continue, Morgan." Hotchner ordered.

"Alright, the tire is flat, JJ is the target. We know from Reid's phone that she had time to text him, and given the appearance that both JJ and Deputy Brewer were jumped, we have to assume it was by a team."

"Brewer steps out first to check and change the tire, JJ stays behind, inside." Rossi continues.

"JJ's likely distracted with her phone, but even so they would have to be quiet and abrupt with their attack. Any sign of trouble, any odd noise, JJ is trained to react."

"What's to say there isn't just one person?" Moses asked. "He attacks Brewer and before your agent can react, he attacks and subdues her."

"It'd be a lot of work for one man, but it is plausible. Especially a big man." Rossi replied.

"Or, one takes care of Brewer while the other subdues JJ." Prentiss countered.

As the team ran through the scenarios, Spencer pictured each playing through his mind like a movie; the repeated image of Brewer being knocked out cold. Of JJ, struggling, but ultimately becoming overwhelmed and slowly dragged away into another awaiting car, helpless to get away.

"So we don't have a definitive clue as to whether or not it was an individual or team. But we do know Brewer was subdued first." Morgan pressed on.

"Given the injuries you described, he didn't have time to fight back. He bent down to change the tire and was clubbed over the head." Hotchner said.

"There weren't repeated blows, the assault wasn't overdone. It was quick and effective, meant to subdue but not to kill." Prentiss added.

"So Brewer is now out cold on the pavement, where is JJ? Does the attacker make a move right away, or does he wait for her to notice something is wrong and draws her out?" Rossi questioned.

"If she expected something was wrong, wouldn't she call for help?" Prentiss asked.

"Not necessarily. We have to remember this all happened quickly. It's late, it's dark. The unsub has to work fast to not be seen. This is a desolate area, but it is still a main roadway. I think he draws her out, before she can or thinks to use, her phone." Spencer stated.

"Ok, so she notices Brewer is taking a while. By the looks of it he didn't even have time to use the jack, so maybe she notices that the car hasn't been lifted and she goes to see what the holdup is." Morgan said. "Does she draw her weapon?"

"Maybe, it's hard to say. If she thinks there is eminent danger then yes; but if she is surprised too quickly then no." Spencer replied. "JJ's a quick shot so if the man charged her from his spot by Brewer, she would see him coming and have enough time to draw and maybe fire a shot."

"There aren't any casings on the ground, unless they were taken to avoid leaving evidence too." Prentiss noted.

"If JJ was targeted like we are assuming she was, then whoever did this knows she's with the FBI. They want to minimize time and risk to make this successful. They wouldn't take any unnecessary chances on being seen. If they made it this far, that will continue. The attacker must have outflanked her. She steps out of the SUV, and he attacks her from behind, sending her to the ground before she can fight back." Hotchner theorized.

The team circled the SUV as they went, the ground beneath them turning from pavement to gravel as they made it around to the passenger's side.

"There are a few footprints, maybe size tens?" Prentiss asked as they noted some partial footprints.

"They're pointed from front to back along the SUV, so that would support Hotch's theory." Spencer added.

"It's too hard to say." Rossi said solemnly as the others looked at him.

"What do you mean Rossi?" Morgan asked.

"The ground has been disturbed so much, between our footprints, your footprints and their footprints that it is really hard to distinguish. I agree the print you're looking at could be our unsub's, it's close to the boot print that looks like JJ's. But then we have yours and Reid's footprints mixed in too. Then here…" Rossi said pointing to about two-thirds of the way down the SUV. "We have scuff marks and then another set of footprints that are slightly smaller and point in the opposite direction. It's a lot to try to sort out and then prove with certainty."

"Maybe that just confirms the theory that there was more than one attacker. One grabs her from behind, and the other comes forward when the coast is clear and helps subdue her." Spencer said.

"How do they subdue her?" Hotchner asked, pushing the conversation forward.

"It could be any number of things; chloroform, drugs, a hit to the head like they did to Brewer." Prentiss replied.

"Or she could feel threatened, realizes she is outnumbered, and goes willingly to avoid being killed." Moses added.

"It's possible, but I doubt it. She _is_ the target. They don't want to hurt her more than necessary. If JJ is smart, she would realize that and given the option, she would fight back until she got away or they were given no choice but to harm her." Rossi said.

"There's no sign of blood anywhere besides the back tire. If they hit her like Brewer, there would be blood splatter somewhere." Morgan said.

"And look, you can tell right here, leading away from the SUV that there are somewhat distinct drag marks." Prentiss noticed suddenly.

"She was probably drugged then." Hotchner said evenly.

Spencer shivered at his boss's words as a cool breeze hit him simultaneously. He couldn't stop picturing JJ in distress and the things that could've happened to her.

"You can also see what look like two sets of footprints on either side of the drag marks, different sizes." Morgan said, pointing to the ground.

"So we do know that there were likely two people involved." Rossi confirmed.

The group followed the footsteps about fifty feet as in the background Brewer was loaded onto an ambulance so he could go to the hospital. The prints stopped at a new set of tire tracks.

"This must be where they loaded her in." Prentiss said.

Spencer cringed, trying to keep the bile from rising up. He was beginning to feel a little light-headed but he forced himself to stay focused.

"The tire tracks indicate a smaller vehicle than JJ's SUV." Hotchner stated.

"Yeah, but they are also too big to be from any mid-sized sedans or coupes." Morgan added as he crouched down.

"We're probably looking at a standard minivan, a smaller SUV or perhaps a mid-size pickup truck." Rossi surmised.

"Pickup seems less likely. They would have to sit her up between them to have enough room in the cab. If we're ruling out bigger trucks with bigger cabs, I doubt they would want her to be seen." Prentiss replied.

"I agree. We're likely looking at a van or a small SUV. Something they can hide her in without much effort." Hotchner nodded.

"Look at the tire marks guys." Spencer pointed out quietly after clearing his throat. Morgan saw it first.

"They appear to curve at the end."

"Which means once they abducted her, they turned around and went back in the direction of where she came from." Rossi looked at the others. Spencer sighed loudly as he began to pace again.

"What is it Reid?" Morgan asked with concern.

"It would've been better if they continued straight; at least we'd have them more in our radius between here and the station. It would've likely made it easier for us to find her. She could be headed anywhere, it widens the perimeter. Now, not only do we have minimal evidence to go by and most of her identifiers were left behind, but we also have a much greater area we have to search to find her."

Everyone stood silently for a moment, realizing that he was likely right.

"We will find her Reid. We just need to take this one step at a time." Hotchner reminded evenly.

"I know we do, but _anyone_ could have her. Local or foreign drug and human traffickers, a stalker we never knew about, a sex offender, some random psychopath who just happened to get lucky. It could be _anyone_." Spencer rambled, growing more agitated.

"We don't have too many problems with traffickers, at least not foreign ones from Mexico. We're generally a bit too far away for that." Moses piped up.

"Oh thank you, I feel _so _much better for that great piece of news." Spencer snapped, earning a glare from Moses.

"Reid, it's been a long day, we're all getting tired." Morgan tried to reason.

"No, I know what he was trying to say and while I appreciate it, nothing changes. Now we have _two_ cases, we're already feeling a lot of pressure and working long hours. How the hell are we supposed to find JJ? She could be headed anywhere!"

"You have to have some faith son. You know we all care about her. We'll do whatever it takes to get her back." Rossi said smoothly, placing his hand on the shaking young man's shoulder.

"I can't do this right now. I need to think." Spencer shrugged off Rossi's hand and walked away. Morgan moved to follow him when Hotchner stopped him.

"Let him go, he needs a minute to walk it off."

Morgan stepped back into place after meeting Hotchner's eyes.

"What do we do now?" Prentiss asked, watching as in a distance JJ's jacket and belongings were put into evidence bags. Hotchner rubbed his temple.

"We let the techs process the scene. Hopefully they can come up with something to help us."

"And in the meantime?" Morgan asked.

"We continue to go over everything we know. When Brewer wakes up, we interview him. One thing Reid was right about, if they are headed west away from here, the more time that passes, the harder she will be to find."

"I'll call the state police and see if they can set some road blocks on this road." Moses offered.

"It might be a little late, but it can't hurt." Rossi smiled slightly in appreciation.

"What if they take her across the state border? Or God forbid the Mexican border?" Prentiss asked fearfully.

"Because it looks like she was targeted specifically we have to think they are relatively local. As was said before, we've barely been here for two days. The odds are whoever saw her and took her can't be too far from here." Hotchner replied.

"So you think they'll stay in this state?"

"Let's hope so."

/

JJ's tired brain briefly snapped conscious to the sound of a door being slammed nearby. She was so confused. She didn't know what was happening or where she was, she couldn't make sense of anything. She thought she could hear breathing, no she knew she could, telling her that she wasn't alone wherever she was_. _

'_How long have I been asleep for?'_

She didn't know, she couldn't even venture a guess. Frustrated, she audibly sighed, alerting her company that she was at least somewhat awake.

"Hey it's ok, we'll be there soon." A deep, somewhat familiar voice said.

'_Where have I heard that voice?' _JJ licked her dry lips, her mouth feeling like cotton.

"Where…are…we…?" Her voice croaked, the sound distant in her mind.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine." The voice said again.

She could hear him shifting in his seat. The next thing she felt was a weight on her leg.

'_What is that?'_ She asked herself, trying desperately to figure it out.

It was pretty good sized, and slowly shifted from her ankle up towards her hip, and back down again. It was so familiar and yet so far from her mind. After a few moments like this, racking her brain trying to find an answer, she gasped.

_It was a hand_.

"No…please…who are you…what are you doing…?" She became more nervous, the hand moving higher, snaking under her blouse, putting pressure on her skin.

"Shhh…just relax beautiful." He told her, his fingers pushing her shirt up.

Paul had to admit, Tony had picked a beauty. Now that Cal was gone for a minute, he figured it couldn't hurt if he teased her and struck some fear into the pretty blonde. Doing so would make her a lot easier to control if she decided to try and become a hassle, not that there was much she could do.

JJ wanted to scream but she couldn't, her body still wasn't responding enough for her to successfully project her voice to the needed octave. She couldn't see anything because of the pillow case covering her head. She couldn't _feel _what he was doing, but she could feel the weight of his hand, making her distant mind aware of what was happening.

"Please…don't touch me…" she mumbled.

He paused for a moment, as if considering something and then he continued, sliding his hand a little higher.

"Do you feel this?" he asked her sternly after he had come to this sudden realization, a realization that had somehow evaded him until now.

JJ didn't answer, afraid that he was simply using the question to taunt her.

"I asked you a question…do you feel this?" He said again, his fingers traveling lower, down past her navel.

"Yes…" JJ whispered quietly through the case.

Abruptly, the hand pulled away. She heard the sound of a door opening. There was silence. Suddenly, the door near her head flung open. A cool wind traveled through, the fresh air and the strong scent of gasoline invaded her returning sense of smell. Roughly, a hand pulled the side of her collar away from her neck.

"I was worried about giving you too much, but I guess we didn't give you enough." The man said out loud.

"What…?" JJ began to ask, her mind not fully comprehending before a needle was again injected into her neck.

He held it there for a few seconds, shorter than the last time, before pulling it away. Their orders were for her to be conscious when they arrived.

"Why…?" JJ tried, but the rest of the words wouldn't come.

"I'm sorry, honey, but I have to. Just get some rest, you need it." He told her before closing the door and discarding the needle in a nearby trash can. Just as the needle hit the garbage Cal walked out of the station and saw him.

"What are you doing?" Cal asked with some concern.

"She was starting to wake up. She was becoming aware of everything again. I gave her another dose, a smaller one." Paul explained as Cal reached their vehicle.

"Shit, hopefully you didn't give her too much. We crossed the border a while ago while you were napping. We're not too far away now."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing, she'll be fine." Paul said.

They both reentered the SUV and took their seats. The driver passed his accomplice some food, before looking into the back seat at the kidnapped blonde.

"What the hell is that?" he asked incredulous, noticing the woman's blouse was pushed up a little. Paul turned back and looked at where his partner was pointing.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"That!" Cal pointed again.

"It's nothing." Paul said simply, turning back to the front.

"Did you touch her?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yeah kind of! If the boss finds out we did anything out of line he'll punish us both." Cal said panicked.

"I didn't do anything, she got nervous. I just comforted her a little. It's not like she's going to remember anyway." Paul said nonchalantly.

"I can't believe you! You have some real balls you know that?" Cal said as he reached back and sharply tugged the blonde's shirt back down.

"Better than being a pussy. In case you haven't figured it out by now the boss doesn't scare me. He doesn't have nearly the amount of power he thinks he does." Paul chuckled, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"Just keep your hands off her, ok? She isn't yours. The last thing I need is to get into anymore trouble." Cal grumbled as he started the car and put it into gear.

"You worry about everything, don't you?"

"I do not."

"You can't be a pushover your whole life, nobody respects a pushover."

"There's something to be said for being humble." Cal countered back.

"Being humble and being a pushover are two very different things. You let the boss get away with too much. So does just about everyone else in the colony, it's about time some of the others are finally starting to notice it."

"Is To- the boss in trouble?" Cal caught himself, remembering that they weren't allowed to use names until they got home, just in case something happened so the blonde couldn't identify them.

"He will be if this one doesn't work out." Paul chuckled, thinking other thoughts as they continued their journey, the blonde once again completely unconscious from the drugs.


	10. The First Meeting

The team arrived back at the precinct after convincing Spencer they had done all they could at the crime scene for the time being. Spencer plopped down at the conference room table, resting his head in his hands for a moment. He couldn't get his mind to focus, he wasn't thinking clearly. When he closed his eyes, visions of JJ calling for his help or lying dead somewhere in a ditch controlled his mind. The words of his mother continued to ring in his head almost like a constant mantra.

'_You need to protect her from him.'_

The whole time he had simply thought it was another episode, but now it clearly appeared to be a premonition, a prediction, of things to come. He resisted the urge to call her, to press her on what she had seen and why she had said what she had. It was late and she would be sleepy.

Further, she likely wouldn't remember any of it, especially now that they had changed her drugs. _He _would appear to be the crazy one. Maybe he _was _going crazy. Maybe this would be the straw that broke the camels back to what was his sanity.

If he lost JJ, if they never found her or she turned up dead, then how could he go on? How could he go on when just days earlier he had never been so happy, to have realized that she truly was the woman of his dreams. How could it potentially be taken all away from him like this, in an instant? It wasn't fair.

He couldn't let that happen. She needed him and he had vowed, to himself and to her, that he would do anything for her, _especially_ when she was in need. He had to review everything they had discussed at the crime scene, the other case be damned.

Spencer reached across the table and grabbed a pen and pad. Normally he could simply visualize everything but he was so tired at this moment that the words on the paper helped to guide his train of thought as he wrote them.

It had to be someone who had seen JJ beforehand. The abduction had been thought out. It had been carried out quickly and efficiently. She had clearly been the target.

The question now was why? Was it because she was an FBI agent? Did it have to do with her press conference? Did she unknowingly cross someone? Was it simply because she was a beautiful, attractive woman? What characteristics had caused the unsub to choose her? What was the end game, the ultimate purpose and reason, behind her abduction? There were so many questions and too few answers.

He hadn't noticed anyone following or hanging too close to JJ, not that he had been around for much of the case, but she hadn't mentioned anything either. When Spencer questioned his teammates they all admitted they had been kind of busy with the case, but that none of them had noticed anything out of the ordinary. If something were suspicious they would've known, and JJ would've said something.

This all started somewhere, these things didn't just normally happen. He needed to find a starting point, a place to work from, and go from there. Ideally, he should wait until the evidence came back from what the crime scene techs had uncovered. The problem was most of that information wouldn't be available until the morning at the earliest. Although the odds suggested JJ wouldn't be killed during that time, Spencer didn't want to take that chance. The longer it took, the more things could happen, the worse they could get, and the farther away from him she could be.

He had to consider the motive.

There were likely two people involved. They knew JJ likely would be with someone, that she was trained, so more than one person was used to take her.

They had taken JJ, but without the use of deadly force and they had appeared to minimize the potential harm to her. There was a certain amount of compassion involved perhaps. She was of value; this wouldn't be a quick and simple take, torture and kill.

Her most valuable belongings, her identity, were left behind. This wasn't out of remorse. This was likely an attempt to get her to leave her current life behind for a 'new life'. If she escaped or was let go, no one would be able to identify her unless they recognized her from TV. Based on this theory, the goal of her captors was to force her to start a new life with them, to leave her old one behind. A certain type of mental games, or brainwashing, would have to take place if they were to be successful in this goal; if that was their goal. The idea chilled Spencer.

What if she were gone for so long that when he got her back she didn't even remember him? What if she didn't remember the life she had? The life _they_ had? It was clear to him if this was the reason JJ was taken, then they would want her for her mind _and _body. They would want her for all she had to offer, to turn what Spencer had with her into theirs.

'If they touch her I swear…' Spencer snapped back out of his negative thoughts, he needed to keep the thoughts productive.

This seemed like the most logical scenario; what little evidence they had seemed to point to it. It was certainly better than considering her taken by human traffickers. JJ was strong; she could at least delay her captors' goal if this were a private kidnapping.

If it _was _trafficking, not only would her resistance cause more harm than good, but it would become exceedingly hard to track her through the underground organization. She could easily be lost forever. At least in the private kidnapping scenario once they caught the culprit, they would almost certainly have JJ back as well.

Now the question fell onto her abductors. There were a couple possibilities. Were they _both_ interested in her? This idea would likely put JJ in more trouble. She would have to submit to and please two people with different personalities. But it would also likely lead to conflict amongst the two, meaning they were more likely to slip up or do something stupid.

Was one dominant and the other submissive? This was a good possibility, but it also left some loose ends. Were they family? Were they really close friends? If either answer was no, then the relationship could easily fracture, especially once the submissive became tired or uncomfortable with his role. The dominant would be the one who wanted JJ. The submissive would merely prove less useful once the dominant had her.

Or, were the two men doing the dirty work for someone else? This too was a good possibility. If this were the case, then it brought the "organization" idea back into play. The organization could be a family, a close-knit group of friends, or a gang. In either case, the _real _dominant person with an interest in JJ would be the person in charge. The two abductors would merely be acting out what they were told to do, dominant personalities or not. Again, if it were an organization then JJ would be in more danger. It was bad enough to be taken by someone and having to deal with that person, it was even worse if one had to do so where the surrounding culture and multiple personalities that consisted of that culture deemed such actions to be acceptable.

Spencer sighed, putting his pen down and scanning over the pages upon pages of ideas he had quickly scribbled down. They covered the table, they surrounded him, and they enveloped him. Now they weren't just simple things floating through his mind; they were physical reminders, evidence, of his train of thought.

At least now he could go back to them, use them as sources if he strayed too far from reality. Now he could sort through logical and illogical scenarios more thoroughly. The problem was, until something truly clicked or there was evidence to help back these things up they were just that; ideas and scenarios, nothing more.

/

"Time to wake up." JJ heard echoing through her ears, as a hand shook her.

She groaned her body weak and barely responsive, her eyes still covered. After being given a minute to move from her drugged slumber and regain some of her strength, she was grabbed by a pair of strong hands, lifting her from her spot on the back seat.

Gently, JJ's feet were placed on the ground, her body supported by the person behind her until her legs adjusted a little to the feel of solid ground. As she leaned against them, she felt the binds on her wrists loosen. The rope pulled away from JJ's chaffed skin, and her arms fell limply to her sides. Her blurry senses tried to gather what was happening, a task made more difficult by the fact she still had a pillowcase over her head.

The cool air still filtered through the tiny fibers of the fabric and reached her nose. JJ could smell the scent of being outside somewhere, the distant smell of a campfire hitting her nostrils. She hadn't spent much time in the southwest, so many of the things she smelt were new to her, doing little in helping her to gather her bearings.

A hand grabbed her wrists, and a longer rope was reapplied to them. This time they were tied firmly in front of her, the excess rope dangling in front of her like an ownerless leash.

"You can lead her, I'll hold onto her." Deep voice said, his hands firmly placed on JJ's shoulders as she leaned into him, her legs still incredibly weak.

Cal shot his partner a look, warning him not to do something stupid, especially not with the boss so close.

"Relax. I'm not an idiot." Deep voice reassured his partner.

Slowly, Cal grabbed the rope and began to gently tug it, leading JJ towards the closed in fortress. She stumbled a little on the uneven ground, thankful she was wearing boots and not dress heels, but not so thankful someone was standing so close behind her.

"Nice and easy." Deep voice purred in her ear, keeping his hands on her shoulders.

JJ wished more than anything that they would take the pillowcase from her head so that she could see where she was heading. She knew it was a tactic, a strategy to keep her off guard, at a disadvantage, unable to get a layout of the place she was being led to.

She heard a door open; she was guided up a couple of steps carefully. The ground became more even, a floor. She could hear voices, lots of voices. The voices were in the distance but she could still tell they were mixed; some were men, some were women, and some belonged to children.

'_Where am I?'_

The walk seemed long and arduous. JJ wasn't sure if this was truly the case, or if it was just her stressed, fuzzy mind making it seem so long.

"Alright be careful with her, this is where it gets a little treacherous." The man leading her said after a few more minutes of walking had passed.

"No shit." Deep voice called back.

"Careful, pretty… I'll catch you if you fall." He whispered into her ear through the pillowcase. His hand firmly wrapped itself around her stomach to support her, but JJ wanted nothing more than to shove him off of her.

"And…step down." He told her quietly. Tentatively JJ did as she was told, her foot feeling for the step.

"Good. And again…" the man encouraged her, slowly guiding her down the staircase.

JJ breathed heavy, fearful that she would accidently take a wrong step and be sent tumbling who knew how far. Finally, after it felt like she had gone down about twenty stairs, her foot hit the firm surface of a hardwood floor.

"Good girl." Deep voice said as he too reached the bottom. His hand left her stomach and returned to her shoulder, which JJ appreciated.

"Come on, let's go." The second man tugged impatiently at the rope, causing JJ to lurch forward unexpectedly.

"Hey, go easy. We're almost there. What's the hurry?" Deep voice asked his partner.

"I want to get this over with so I can get paid and see my family." The man responded.

They walked in a straight line for about a hundred paces, turned left, walked another fifty paces, and finally turned left, slowly walking another ten steps.

"We're here pretty, you did well." Deep voice told her quietly.

JJ tried not to shudder, her mind trying to figure out where _here _was. The room smelt sweet, scented a lot like flowers. Besides that, she had nothing to work with. She felt the rope drop as the second man released it. Firmly, the man behind her pressed down on her shoulders.

"Kneel down, nice and easy honey." He told her as he guided her carefully to the floor.

When JJ's knees were firmly planted on the hardwood floor and she was kneeling straight up, the man let go of her shoulders. She moved to drift back, to rest her tired body in more of a kneeling-sitting position, but a hand firmly placed on her back stopped her.

"Don't slouch pretty. He wants to be able to see you." Deep voice told her, forcing JJ to kneel in her previous position.

JJ didn't know what the man meant by that statement, and she wasn't so sure she wanted to. She could sense him standing behind her, the other man breathing in front of her, as they remained quietly waiting.

JJ tried to calm herself, but she felt her heart rate racing, she didn't want to show it, but she was scared. Oh so scared. She didn't know who these men were that had taken her, or what they wanted. All she did know was that they had gone through some trouble to bring her here, which meant they weren't going to let her go very easily. She was here for a reason, she just didn't know for what.

Suddenly the noise around them grew. Three sets of footsteps came clomping down the hallway JJ had just been led down. She knew they were coming for her. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to put on her bravest face as she prepared for what she was about to face. She didn't know what it was, but she only hoped she would stay strong until her team came to her rescue.

/

Tony strode confidently down the hallway, followed by two of his men as he prepared to finally meet his prize, in person. His heart raced with excitement, an excitement he had barely been able to contain from the moment he heard the SUV pull back onto the property.

His meeting with some of the others had gone well after he reassured them of his coming prize, and now they had Jennifer Jareau, _he _had Jennifer Jareau. She would now belong to him. It would take some time, some tough days were potentially ahead he reminded himself, but he was confident that things would work out with time. He couldn't wait for that day.

Now, as he entered the room, the breath left him as he saw her kneeling in the center of the floor with her back to him. She was actually _here_, just feet from him. He felt a happy desire build from his gut as his eyes trailed up her back, pausing extra long to stare at that great ass. He looked at Cal, then Paul, and smiled, nodding his approval.

Tony slowly approached Jennifer Jareau, his heart racing. He couldn't wait to take the pillowcase off her head, to see those gorgeous blue eyes and those luscious golden tresses. He circled her slowly, his eyes taking in every inch of her and admiring how her clothes clung so perfectly to her petite frame; it only served to turn him on more, she was gorgeous.

He now stood in front of her, only a couple of feet away. Her sweet, feminine scent filled his nostrils. It was enough to make him want to groan out loud, but he held it in, wanting to wait until no one was around.

After a moment of blissful anticipation he reached forward for the pillowcase. He watched Jennifer Jareau's small chest rise and fall at a quicker pace.

'_She knows I'm here for her_.' Tony smiled.

Slowly and gently, he pulled the case from her head, wisps of hair sticking straight up towards the pillowcase as a result of static. Tony watched her beautiful face as she squinted, her eyes struggling to adjust to the brightness of the room. He gave her a moment, willing those pretty blue eyes to open.

Finally, her eyes began to roam the room, frantically taking in her surroundings through the blonde curtain of hair that had fallen into her face. JJ's eyes paused on him, lingering as she sized him up.

The man in front of her was an average height, maybe six feet. He was in good shape, and his tanned skin complemented his brown eyes and short dark hair well. He couldn't be older than thirty-three, and the tone of his skin told her he may be at least part Mexican. He was handsome, but stood confidently, imposing almost. He was dressed nicely; he had a sense of style. JJ wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the man in front of her.

Tony reached his hand out, his hand cupping her cheek, stilling her movements and locking his eyes on hers. Her hazy blue eyes searched his, trying to read what his intentions for her were.

Tony smiled, his hazel eyes remaining locked on hers as he gently brushed the hair out of her face. He watched her struggle to remain stationary as he intimately tucked the hair behind her ears, a move he had seen her perform so many times before in the last few days.

"She's still pretty drugged, isn't she?" He asked in plain English, finally tearing his eyes away from her and staring at the two men who had brought her here. Cal had moved to stand beside Paul, leaving Tony as the only man standing in front of JJ.

"She uh…she started to wake up on our way here, we had to give her a second, smaller dose." Cal explained, his voice a little nervous.

Tony looked back to the beautiful woman in front of him, his thumb lightly caressing her cheek.

"We made sure she was awake when she got here, just as you asked." The man with the deep voice, Paul, spoke up a little defensively. Tony put his free hand up, stopping them from saying anything more.

"It's ok. You did what you had to. I would have preferred her to be a little more lucid, but maybe it's for the best." He explained before turning his attention back to JJ.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Jennifer Jareau." He smiled at her.

JJ stared back at him, scared, but she tried to hide the fear with her defiant look.

"Why so quiet? I know you're a talker, its part of your job." He encouraged, his thumb still stroking her soft skin.

JJ wanted to look away from him, to gather herself, but she knew she couldn't, he would take it as a sign of weakness. Considering her words carefully as best she could through her foggy brain, she cleared her throat.

"Why am I here?" She asked quietly, her mouth very dry.

Tony smiled, noticing how dry her usually pretty voice sounded.

"You'll find that out soon enough…for now, we need to get the introductions out of the way." He replied, his fingers smoothing down the top of her hair possessively. JJ breathed heavy, pleading with herself to not lose it, to remain in control of her emotions.

"Tom, get this pretty lady a glass of water, will you?" He called to one of his men, who immediately obeyed, leaving the room.

JJ turned, craning her neck in an attempt to see who was behind her. She didn't get far before Tony's hand was on her again, turning her head back to face him.

"There's nothing back there for you, keep those pretty blues looking this way." He told her, his hand lifting her chin so their eyes were locked once again. A moment later Tom was back in the room with the glass of water, stepping forward and handing it to Tony.

"Thank you Tom. Men, we are all set here. Go with Tom, and he'll take care of our agreement for you. Thank you both. I am very pleased with your results, as I knew I would be." Tony praised Cal and Paul.

Both men nodded, Paul's eyes glancing back one last time at the blonde on her knees, reminding himself that though pretty, she wasn't worth the trouble for the time being. Slowly, he followed Tom and Cal out of the room, leaving JJ alone with Tony and one other man who stood quietly in the corner.

Carefully, Tony brought the glass to JJ's lips.

"Here, take a sip. I'm sure you must be incredibly thirsty after everything that's transpired." He offered.

JJ hesitated for a moment before nodding, opening her mouth to accept the cold liquid. The water trickled down her dry, raw throat, bringing a refreshing coolness to her senses and sparking her from her haze just a little.

Once the glass was empty Tony pulled it away from her mouth and handed it to the other man still in the room. The man left the room to properly dispose of it.

"My name is Tony, Jennifer, although I know you prefer JJ so maybe I'll go with that instead." He smiled as he introduced himself to her.

"How do you know so much about me?" JJ asked suspiciously, her voice flowing more smoothly now as Tony chuckled.

"There are _a lot_ of things I know about you, _JJ_, more than you'd probably expect."

"But how…we've never met…I'm not from around here…how did you find me?" She questioned, her brain beginning to clear from the drugs.

"You'd be surprised how easy it is to find someone, to find out about someone, especially when they are in the public eye." Tony laughed, his eyes gleaming.

"Let's just say I don't know you _well_, not yet anyway. But I have enough information to start a conversation with you. Besides, there will be plenty of time to get to know each other." His hand moved back to her cheek, palming it.

"My team _will _find me, it's what they do." She stared into his eyes confidently.

Tony looked down at her, his face closing in on hers.

"You may think that _JJ_, but I have taken some of the necessary precautions to ensure that doesn't happen. I went through a lot of trouble to bring you here. I won't give you up easily." He said, his grip tightening on her face as he became sterner.

JJ tried not shiver at his words or from the dark look that had suddenly crossed his eyes.

"You will be here for a nice, long time if I have anything to say about it. And you _will _learn your place while you're here." He closed the distance between them and forced his lips to hers. JJ couldn't stop the whimper surfacing from her throat as she pursed her lips tightly together.

Tony squeezed her cheek firmly, painfully, forcing her muscles to give way and her lips to part. JJ lost her balance as he became more intense, his mouth trying to force his tongue inside her mouth. She fell back with a yelp as the kiss broke.

Tony looked at her on the floor, smiling as he wiped his mouth of her lipstick.

"Yes, I have no plans of letting you leave here anytime soon _JJ_." He confirmed, looking up when the other man returned to the room. Grabbing the long rope that was still attached to her wrists, Tony picked it up and tossed it to the other man.

"Bring Ms. Jareau to my _private_ _quarters_ will you John? I have a few things to attend to before the night is through." He said, motioning the other man to lead her away.

John waited until JJ stood, then began pulling the rope, leading her out of the room by her wrists.

Tony watched as she left; a grin on his face the whole time. Jennifer Jareau was going to be worth having around. He had little doubt she was going to be everything he expected, and more.


	11. Waiting Impatiently

**AN: Ok, so this is a bit of a filler chapter once again. Unfortunately it's necessary. I know these aren't always the most exciting, but I'm trying to make this as much a "real story" as possible which means focusing on the details and trying to connect everything. It should all make sense. The two following chapters coming after are a couple of my favorites and I think you'll like them.**

**Warning: After this chapter I'm bumping this story up to an "M" rating. Although the content in the next chapter may not entirely warrant the rating, I'm doing it just to be on the safe side as this story will become progressively darker and eventually earn its rating. I'm telling you this now so if you aren't following this story, you still know where to find it and don't think that it simply disappeared. The next update WILL be in 2 days in the M section. Thank you loyal readers!**

"Reid? Reid? Reid!"

Spencer bolted upright at the sound of Aaron Hotchner's voice calling him. He tried to stifle a yawn as he rubbed his face and attempted to compose himself.

"I'm sorry Hotch, what did you say?" He looked up and asked his boss through tired eyes and a sleepy voice.

"I said I think it's time you went back to the hotel and got some rest. There isn't much else to be done here right now."

"I'm fine Hotch, really. I was just resting for a minute."

"Reid you've been going at a high level all day after taking a redeye from Las Vegas and dealing with your mom. It's late. Some rest will help you think better and we're going to need all you can give us tomorrow."

"I'm fine Hotch. I need to think through why this happened. Any luck with the road blocks?" He asked hopefully, changing the subject.

"Nothing so far, but it's only been a few hours. There are multiple checkpoints set up along the highway and they are stopping all vans, trucks and SUVs and searching them."

"What about the crime scene? Have the techs processed everything?" Spencer asked, although he already knew the answer.

"They are almost done with the scene itself. They plan to work through the night, but we won't know anything until tomorrow morning at the earliest. It's going to take some time."

Spencer nodded, standing to stretch his legs.

"We should call Garcia and have her start looking into what we have."

Hotchner sighed.

"You know we don't have much to go on right now, Reid. She won't be able to do much until we give her something more specific to work with. I know it's the last thing you want to hear, but we have to be patient. The evidence suggests we have time, whoever has JJ probably isn't going to kill her anytime soon."

Spencer took a deep breath and nodded, his eyes scanning the empty precinct.

"Everyone else is back at the hotel, aren't they?"

Hotchner nodded silently.

"I ordered them to get some rest. They're all just as worried as you are, but they also realize we're kind of stuck right now. It won't help us to run over the same minimal information we have over and over again and become sleep deprived. We should have more to go off of tomorrow. When we do, we'll run with it."

Spencer stared blankly at the table in front of him, his eyes seeing the notes he had made but not actually reading them. He felt sick, exhausted from worry about JJ. Hotchner could read the young man's face like a book.

"We _will_ find her Reid. We all know how strong JJ is. She's smart enough to know what she has to do to stay alive. She'll do everything she possibly can to get away or at least stall them until we can find her. She won't go down without a fight, and neither will we."

"I know she's strong Hotch…I just can't believe this happened. Why now? Why her?" Spencer said quietly, not meeting Hotchner's eyes.

"It's a question we're all asking Reid, and until we find who took her, they are questions that we might not be able to answer. All we can do is focus on developing and following the profile. If JJ can, she'll do everything in her power to help lead us to her."

"I should've gone with her."

"We needed you here. There was no way to know this would happen."

"I had a bad feeling from the beginning." Spencer admitted, dancing around the thoughts of his mother.

"It might not have mattered. For all we know you could've ended up in Deputy Brewer's position, if not worse. He's a strong man who knew the area. You can keep looking back and saying 'what if', but it won't do JJ any good and it will only serve to torture you. You need to push past this, try to get some rest, and come back ready for tomorrow." Hotchner said through firm encouragement.

"I don't think I can sleep knowing she is out there, in danger."

"You have to try, even if it's only for a few hours, it'll be better than nothing."

Spencer stood still, considering Hotchner's words, knowing deep down he was right, but the logic escaped him. His brain kept insisting that perhaps he was missing something, perhaps there was something else he could do to bring JJ back sooner. Logically, he knew unless they got lucky, either with the roadblock, the unsubs making a grave mistake, or JJ persevering and escaping, there was nothing else that could truly be done. Nothing else would get them any closer to finding her, that couldn't be done more quickly or efficiently in the morning with the help of rest and a team effort.

"Come on Reid, let's go." The older man approached him, placing his hand on the young man's shoulder and guiding him away from the table.

"Hotch…" He began to protest again.

"It's an order Reid, not a choice." Hotchner said firmly, guiding the man towards the door.

Spencer wanted to say something more, something that would make sense and force Hotch to let him continue, but he came up with nothing. He was too tired, too defeated. He forced himself to accept Hotch's order. Spencer walked out the door, side by side with the man who was both his boss and friend, the cool air reminding him of just how cold and empty he felt inside. He could only hope nothing serious would happen to JJ over the course of the night; that she could at least hang on until morning.

/

JJ was led down the hallway by the man named John. She did everything she could to get the layout of the building she was in. She looked into rooms as she passed by open doors and climbed stairs, looked out the windows towards the outside where her freedom awaited; anything that could help her when the opportunity to escape presented itself.

While she walked down the halls JJ learned two things. First, she was in what appeared to be a large compound made up of multiple buildings. The area was well lit, even in the pitch black of the late night. There was a large, lit wall surrounding the complex, about a couple thousand feet from the building she was in, providing the inhabitants plenty of land for farming and leisure. It was almost like she was in a little secluded colony, or a cult.

JJ shivered at the thought of being in a cult, she knew they were generally strict and more than likely, there could be brainwashing involved. To her, that was a very scary thought.

The other thing JJ picked up on was that Tony's '_private quarters'_ as he called them were in the opposite direction of where most of the action was. There were fewer rooms the closer they got, and many of those rooms appeared to be empty or hardly used. He liked to keep himself secluded from the others, which also meant she would be too. He would be in control of who she met and when. If she somehow escaped, she would have a long ways to go before she ran into anyone who may be of help. She had no doubt that the people who roomed closest to Tony were also his closest, most loyal followers. He was well protected.

They slowed as they reached the corner of the building, approaching the door to the room that could quite possibly turn into JJ's own personal hell. John turned the knob and led her in. Without saying anything, he closed the door behind her, locking it and leaving JJ to herself. This surprised her. Obviously he wasn't too concerned with her getting into trouble or going too far.

JJ sighed, turning from the door to glance over the room. She nearly gasped at what she saw. The room was large, spacious and swanky. There was no doubt Tony was the so-called leader of these people, and of where much of his money had been spent. The room had a bit of everything. A couch, comfy chairs, a TV, table, computer, desk, a dresser, two separate closets on different sides of the room, a mirror standing next to the nearest closet to her, and a large, king-sized bed to name a few things. JJ took a deep breath, tearing her eyes from the well made, comfy looking bed fearfully. Next to the mirror and one of the closets was a door.

Curiosity got the best of her, and carefully she approached the door and turned the knob. Turning on the light, she found it to be a personal bathroom. It was rather large for a single bathroom, and had all the essential amenities. She looked everything over carefully, noting there wasn't anything sharp such as a razor, and that all of the drawers needed a key to get into them. This guy was smart, he knew how to make everything look modern and normal, and yet the little things gave the message that he truly was the one in control.

JJ left the bathroom behind, moving about the room until she found another door next to where the other closet was situated. She slowly turned the knob and entered, again turning on the light. This room was a tiny personal kitchen, containing a refrigerator, microwave and some cabinets, all of which were again locked. JJ groaned in frustration. This wasn't going to be easy.

Approaching the sink, she turned the water on and forced her sore wrists under it, slickening her skin and soaking the rope. While it did nothing to weaken the rope despite her efforts, it did refresh her chaffed skin a bit.

After a moment JJ removed her hands and shook them dry, returning to the large main room. She noticed there were multiple windows lining the room, covered by big, expensive curtains. She walked over to one window and pulled the curtain aside.

JJ's eyes grew wide as she looked out the window, she was at least five stories up and if she were to climb out the window, there was nowhere to land but down on the ground. She yanked on the latch of the window anyway, hardly surprised to find that it too was locked.

JJ moved from the window, beginning to pace around the room more anxiously. She had no idea if or when Tony would show up, but she was sure she didn't have forever. Although she was getting a layout of the room, she had come no further in finding a way to protect herself or a means for escape. She moved to the TV and turned it on, praying she would find media coverage of her sudden disappearance. She had no idea how long she had been gone, but she had a feeling it probably wasn't long enough yet. The screen flickered on, but the screen remained blank.

'Really?' She cursed, realizing the cable had likely been disconnected.

She walked over to the desk, turning the laptop on. She waited impatiently for the computer to start up. Finally, it had loaded and JJ immediately went for the internet, praying she could send an email S.O.S. Sure enough, that was disconnected too; she was stuck.

Tony had gone to great lengths to prevent visitors, presumably her, from having any real chance at freedom in this room. He controlled everything.

JJ sighed, bringing her tied hands to her face in an attempt to brush the hair off her cheek. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, curse. She was so frustrated, she felt so helpless. Never had she felt quite like this, so not in control, so desperate. At the mercy of someone she didn't even know. This wasn't good. This was almost her worst nightmare.

She missed Spence. Where was he? Had he ever received the last two messages she sent him? She was beginning to feel frantic, the panic bubbling up inside of her.

She sat on the couch, burying her hands in her palms. A tear threatened to slip from her eye. She refused to let it. Tony would likely be there any time now. If he saw she had been crying that would surely give him more power and put her at a disadvantage.

Taking a deep breath, she choked back the sob that was deep in her throat. Gradually she began to feel a little better. But just as she did, she could hear footsteps coming down the hall in her direction. As JJ lifted her head and stood from the couch, gathering herself as best she could, she had no doubt it was Tony.


	12. Spencer's Nightmare

**AN: I just want to take the time to, again, thank all you loyal readers. A special thank you to Cribellate and muccia12 who have taken the time to review just about every chapter. It is certainly not necessary, but definitely appreciated, especially to know that people are truly enjoying this!**

**This chapter was one of my favorites to write. I doubt it is what many of you were expecting, but the idea came to me and as I began to write it, the chapter practically wrote itself. I am very happy with how it came out and hopefully you will be too!**

_Spencer Reid was driving, to where, he didn't know. It was dark, so dark. It was like he was in a tunnel. He would look to either side of him and see nothing but darkness. In front of him it was also pitch black, minus the few feet ahead he could see from the headlights._

_He felt a strange sense of panic fill him, like the darkness was closing in on him, consuming him. He was moving faster, or was it slower? He couldn't tell with nothing to go by, the darkness taking away the means by which to base how quickly he was moving. _

_He was in the FBI SUV. How he got there, he didn't know. _

'_Why am I driving? It doesn't make sense.' _

_He moved to rub his forehead, but his hand refused to leave the steering wheel. It was like it had been glued there. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't move. His hand was stuck on the wheel, his foot stuck on the accelerator. _

_Spencer tried to tell himself to relax, taking a deep breath and leaning back into the seat. There was nothing he could do accept to try and enjoy the ride. _

_Suddenly, he began to notice something. The headlights, they were gradually becoming brighter, through no action of his own. He was able to see farther ahead. His eyes could make more sense of what the darkness held. He could see road lines; he was on a road, although logic had told him a while ago that was the case. _

_He continued to search the darkness as the lights became impossibly bright, almost like the sun. The problem was he could only see straight ahead, everything else was still completely dark. _

_Then he saw her, walking along the white line in the same direction he was heading. Her back was to him, but the blonde hair was unmistakable. So were the clothes she was wearing, the same as earlier in the day when he had last seen her. _

_Spencer tried desperately to pump the brakes as he approached her, but they refused to cooperate. He became desperate, frantic, as he was about to whiz past her. Out of options, he voiced what he was pleading in his head. _

"_Please! Stop!" _

_As if that were indeed the cue, the SUV came to a quick, screeching halt. _

_Spencer breathed deeply, his heart racing from the sudden deceleration and the sight of his girlfriend in front of him. He tried to unbuckle his seatbelt, it was jammed. He tugged with all his might, cursing at it, but it refused to come undone. He grasped for the door handle, but it remained locked. His fingers fumbled with the window switch, but it buzzed as if it were dead, it wouldn't open. He watched, his heart breaking as the blonde continued to walk away from him, completely oblivious to his presence. _

_Desperate, Spencer pounded the horn on the steering wheel, using all his might with the palm of his hand. A loud 'beep' erupted from the otherwise quiet silence, surprising Spencer that the move had actually worked, and nearly causing him to jump. _

_The blonde stopped in her tracks, frozen. _

_Spencer's heart pounded, threatening to erupt out of his chest. _

_She slowly turned around, facing him, un-blinded by the bright lights of the headlights. Her thin lips turned up at the corners a little. She looked completely fine, unharmed and like her normal self. Spencer felt a sense of relief wash over him as she stood silently before him. Her blue eyes were transfixed on his chocolate ones. _

"_Spencer. You found me." She said quietly. _

_Spencer's face broke into a wide smile, the warmth and joy he felt flooding his body. _

"_I love you Spence." She proclaimed, her smile still thin, her eyes staring through the light and baring into his. _

_Spencer continued to smile, looking her over for harm. Then his brain kicked in. How could he hear her? She was still a good fifty feet from him and the window was closed, how was that possible? She wasn't shouting, she was talking as if she were right beside him._

"_JJ, come here, I'll take you home. You're safe now!" He tried to shout, his voice echoing in his ears. _

_JJ simply stood there, her face staring blankly now, as if she hadn't heard him. _

"_JJ…please!" He tried again. _

_The smile left her face and she slowly turned away. Spencer watched in horror as she began to walk again. _

"_JJ no! Come back!" He cried, but she continued to move away. _

_Suddenly, a pair of headlights came into view, coming towards them. The light got closer and closer, blinding him. He couldn't see her anymore. _

"_JJ!" He yelled with all his might, trying his damndest to get out of the SUV that was keeping him prisoner. He could hear a struggle ensue. _

"_Spence! Help me!" He heard her shriek. _

"_No!" Spencer pounded his fists on the window, a window that suddenly felt more like a steel wall. He couldn't see anything from the blinding light in his face, the only voice he could hear was hers. _

_The sound of a car door slamming shut disrupted the silence that otherwise met Spencer's shouts. The light disappeared, as did the car with JJ. _

_Everything became dark again, he couldn't see. _

_Spencer's body lurched forward without warning, the SUV he was in roaring back to life. He couldn't see where he was going, the SUV was out of control. The only thing he could tell from the inertia and force of the vehicle was that the SUV was traveling at an impossibly fast speed. He closed his eyes. He felt like he was on a roller coaster, he was going to be sick. After what felt like an eternity, the SUV came to a jolting stop once more. _

_Fearful at what he might see, Spencer carefully cracked one of his eyes open. He was no longer in the SUV. He was standing, alone, in the middle of a dark room. He could feel the hardwood floor beneath him. He could smell the scent of burning wood filling his nostrils. He could hear the overwhelming silence of the room, the drop of a pin would be enough to startle him. _

_His fingers frantically felt for his holster. Surprised to find his gun was in fact there, he drew it, cocking back the hammer. He walked carefully and deliberately forward into the darkness. He counted the number of steps in his head, using it as a way to keep track of how far he had travelled, to maintain his sanity in the otherwise cool nothingness. _

_After two hundred paces and seemingly having accomplished nothing, Spencer tried a different tactic. He turned and tried to walk left. Three steps in that direction and he was met by a firm, flat object that surprised him enough to nearly knock the gun from his hand. _

_Carefully, he reached out with his free hand, his fingers running along the smooth, stable surface. It was a wall, he surmised. _

_Sighing, he turned and decided to try going right. Three more steps in that direction resulted in the same situation. _

_Spencer felt himself becoming agitated. He decided to turn around, just for the hell of it. Three steps and again he walked into a wall. It didn't make any sense. He had just come from that direction. _

'_I'm wasting time damn it!' He cursed under his breath. He realized he had no choice but to continue forward down the same path. _

_Slowly, he continued, walking another hundred paces as his frustration continued to boil inside. Then he heard it, echoing down the walls. It sounded like a whimper. Not a dog whimper, but a human one, belonging to a woman. He could hear a dark, evil voice say something unintelligible. It sounded so close, and yet so far away. _

_Everything was still completely dark. He was at a total disadvantage, but he had no choice, he had to risk it for JJ. He would risk it for JJ. _

_Spencer stepped forward cautiously, every step making the sounds louder. His heart was thumping, his hands shaking. His brow was dripping from perspiration, making an impossibly loud dripping noise that seemed to go unnoticed by everyone but him as it hit the floor. _

_Spencer froze as he heard a loud slap. It sounded like it was right in front of him, and yet he knew it wasn't. He could hear the unmistakable sounds of fabric tearing and fists pounding flesh. Spencer raised his gun, ready to fire if need be. _

_As scared as he was, he knew he couldn't just fire unseeingly into the dark, what if he hit something or someone he hadn't intended. He didn't want to make that grave mistake. His ears rang at the sound of the voice gasping, crying, pleading, for help. It was JJ. He knew it was. _

"_Stop! JJ I'm here!" Spencer called, his voice booming. He knew giving away his position was a bad idea, but what other choice did he have? _

_For a moment, nothing changed, the pounding of flesh, the cries, they all continued. _

_Spencer took a few steps forward, but he seemed no closer. Taking a deep breath, Spencer aimed his gun high, higher than how tall JJ stood, and fired. The gun echoed through the hall, and then, in an instant, all the noises stopped. _

_Spencer held his breath, straining his ears in an attempt to hear something. He looked down instinctively, feeling the heat from his smoking gun, wondering if he had just made a major miscalculation. When he looked back up, he spotted a sliver of light on the floor that hadn't been there before. It was about twenty feet in front of him and it appeared to be shining from under a door frame. _

_Spencer was at the door in the time it took him to blink; his fingers grasping the cold, rough edges of the doorknob. Raising his gun once more, he flung the door open and rushed in. _

_He was not expecting the sight he saw in front of him. _

_At one far side of the room was a dark figure, all in black, face down on the ground. Directly across from the figure were two other, more familiar figures on the ground. One was sitting upright against a stone wall, the other was laying face down in the other figure's lap. _

_Spencer was at a loss for words. Unconsciously he holstered his weapon as he stepped towards the two figures. _

_A fire crackled in a small fireplace, providing the only light to the room. As Spencer crossed past the fire, the faces in the room were illuminated enough for him to finally see them. _

_He gulped at what he saw, the bile rising up in his throat. His head hurt. This wasn't right, it wasn't possible. _

"_Mo…mother…" Spencer choked out, his eyes meeting the sitting figure. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. _

"_I told you to protect her from him!" His mother spat, pointing at the black figure across from them. _

"_This poor, poor, girl." His mother looked down sadly, stroking the woman's matted long blonde hair. _

"_Mother...what are you doing here?" Spencer stuttered, his eyes trying to avoid looking down at the woman in his mother's lap. _

"_I love you Spencer. I love you so very much. But you should've listened to me. She didn't deserve this." His mother said tearfully. Spencer couldn't resist looking down when his mother pushed the woman's hair back, revealing the side of her bruising face. _

"_No…no…" Spencer choked, tears forming in his eyes. "How…? Why…?" _

"_Because he could Spencer. Because there is so much evil in the world, because HE is evil." His mother pointed back in the direction of the figure but Spencer's eyes didn't follow. He was too busy taking in the appearance of the dead woman in his mother's lap…his JJ. _

_She had been beaten and God knew what else. She was face down so the most of the extent of the damage was hidden. Still, her pants had holes in them, an assortment of cut and rip marks. Her blouse had clearly been ripped open as evidenced in how it hung loosely at her shoulders. Her beautiful hair was dark and matted, full of blood, grease and dirt. He could only guess the horrendous things the man in the room had done to her. _

_The rage boiled in him, his heart was beating impossibly fast. He felt a rush of adrenaline. Growling as he turned, Spencer searched out for the man responsible. Looking down, he was caught by surprise to find that the black figure had disappeared. _

"_Where is he?! Where did he go?!" He shouted, turning back to his mother. _

"_It's too late Spencer. He's gone. The damage is done…you can never take it back." _

"_No! That's not true!" _

"_You should've tried harder, you could've prevented this." _

"_How? What should I do? Please, help me mother!" _

"_I can't Spencer. This is your battle to fight. Hurry, she won't be around forever…" _

_Spencer felt himself shifting backwards. His mother and JJ began to drift farther and farther out of reach, the light became dimmer. _

"_No…please…help me fix this!" He called, trying desperately to make it back to the disappearing room. _

_Spencer couldn't stop it. Before he knew it, he was back in the pitch-black nothingness. The only sense working was his sense of sound, filled with his mother's words and JJ's screams._

**AN: I know, I'm being kind of mean by essentially skipping over JJ and leaving you in suspense this chapter. Don't worry, I'm not cruel enough to keep you guessing. The next chapter is all about JJ and the situation she's in. Considering she's my favorite character, there will be plenty more of her to come.**


	13. JJ's Reality

**AN: This chapter was another of my favorites to write, despite the difficulty of some of the content. I love being able to create a character, and then delving into their mindset and having them interact with the existing characters on the show. I loved creating the back and forth between JJ and Tony this chapter. I do have to warn that this chapter is rated M based on content, it is one of a couple chapters that have definitely earned the M rating. Also, I will try to update once mid-week, but I may have to put this story on a 1 week hiatus until next weekend. Life is busy. Hence, the super-long chapter, enjoy!**

The lock on the door released and JJ watched, her breath hitching in her chest, as the knob slowly turned. She'd considered hiding, but she knew he'd find her. She's considered jumping him, but she had no doubt he'd be ready for her. It didn't help that she was still in a weakened state and not feeling completely herself as a result of the sedative.

Tony entered the room, immediately finding JJ standing uneasily towards the center, right near the couch. He smiled as he met her uncertain eyes. He had left her alone in here for a reason. He had no doubt she would go exploring, to learn her boundaries, and sure enough as he looked around the room he could tell she had.

'_She is so predictable_.' He thought to himself.

Tony wanted her to know he was entirely in control of the situation; that she got only what he gave her. If JJ wanted something, she would have to come to him to get it. The lure of the creature comforts he could potentially offer her would become too much given time. She was going to learn this, going to learn that she was here for him. Only then once she understood this, understood that she belonged to him, would she be allowed some of the more customary amenities and be freed from isolation. Until then, he would teach her, train her, until she was exactly how he wanted her. It was going to be a long journey, a journey he was excited for; a journey that started now.

"There's my little lamb." Tony said closing and locking the door behind him, taking the key he had on a chain, and wrapping it around his neck like a necklace.

JJ felt a wave of nausea hit her, both from the name and by the way he was eyeing her. Did he think she was weak? Or was he trying to make her feel weak by calling her that? JJ's heart began to beat quicker as he approached her intently.

"I see you've checked out the room, pretty impressive isn't it?" He smiled as he bent down a few feet from her and picked up the end of the rope.

JJ remained silent, eyeing him warily, her eyes already focusing in on the key as she considered how hard it would be to get it from him. Tony waited patiently for her to respond but when she didn't, he gave the rope a hard tug, forcing her to him.

"I was talking to you _precious_. When I ask for a response I expect one." He told her softly, his hand stroking her hair.

"Don't touch me." She replied firmly.

"It's nice. Probably better than maybe half the hotels I've ever stayed in." She continued, trying vainly to flinch away from his touch. Tony chuckled, ignoring the first part of her statement.

"That's it? Only half? Really Jennifer…I mean JJ, I think you're not giving me my due credit." He smiled, his fingers still playing with her hair.

"No only half, maybe less." JJ held firm, her voice wavering just a little. His breath continued to waft into her face with every word that left his mouth. It was very minty, a scent that was almost eerily comforting. She had always loved the smell of mint.

"I think you're lying…don't lie to me JJ, I hate liars." He pushed back the hair from her forehead, his eyes bearing into hers intensely.

"Are you lying to me?" Tony asked, pulling her so close their bodies were almost touching.

JJ's eyes looked down for a brief instant, and Tony knew he had her second guessing herself. She knew there was an implied threat if she didn't admit the truth. He loved it. He was beginning to see past the front she had, the shield she hid behind, and through to the insecurity and fear that lied underneath.

"I…maybe I undervalued your room…a little." She stuttered, hating herself for giving into him so easily.

She didn't even know what he was capable of, but she preferred to not find out if she didn't have to, as long as he didn't hurt her. Tony smiled, breathing in her luscious scent once again, happy with his small victory

"See that wasn't so hard…I love your perfume, what is it?"

JJ paused, obviously debating what to say. He was testing her, seeing if she had learned the implied lesson, or if she would try to lie again.

"Its uhm…it's a mix of vanilla and jasmine." She told him truthfully. She wasn't about to tell him why she wore it, that she wore it for Spence; it was one of his favorite perfumes on her.

"Well it's absolutely delicious. I'll have to be sure to pick some up for you so you can continue to wear it…I love it." Tony hummed, his hand cupping her cheek as he brought his face to hers.

"I said don't touch me. Get your hand off of me." She tried again, but it only seemed to encourage him more. JJ began to struggle as his lips met hers, one hand holding her cheek while the other held the rope tight to keep her from escaping. Slowly he pulled away, his teeth sensually pulling on her bottom lip as he groaned.

"Mhm…you taste so good too." He groaned again, slowly re-opening his eyes as he breathed heavy.

"Please…don't do that." JJ told him more nervously, internally telling herself to pull it together.

"Don't do what…kiss you?" Tony asked, his fingers tracing along her jaw.

"Yes. And keep your hands away from me." She nodded her head, trying to be bold, but her nerves were failing her, she was becoming rattled after everything she had been through in such a short time. She wondered if maybe some of it had to do with the sedative she had been given.

"No, no Jennifer, I don't think you understand how this works. You're here for _me._ I brought _you_ here for _me_." He pulled the rope tighter, their bodies touching, his lips hovering so close to hers, as he spelled out the situation for her.

"If I want something from _you_, you _will _give it to me. If you don't, you will learn to give it to me. _You…belong…to…me…_Once you figure this out, things will go a lot more smoothly and you will be a lot happier than you find yourself right now." He told JJ, his hands firmly on her shoulders as he stared into her eyes, willing every word to hit her soul.

"I…you have to be kidding. If you think I'm just going to go along with this then you're crazy." JJ responded in disbelief as she tried to tear herself from his grip.

"I hardly kid, JJ. Trust me, this is very real. I don't expect this to be easy for you, but you will learn over time. I can be a very patient man." Tony smiled. His hands left JJ's shoulders and trailed along the open V of her blouse towards her breasts. JJ's eyes watched him intently, her heart skipping another beat as his fingers grew closer to intruding upon her personal space.

"I'm not yours to play with. I never will be no matter how hard you try!" She spat as she tried to put distance between them. His fingers held their tight grip on her blouse, holding her in place.

"Don't touch me!"

"Then give me a kiss…a real kiss." Tony told her, his hand hovering persuasively over her chest.

JJ's eyes became wider. Was this how he was going to break her? By playing games with her mind and body? By finding and attacking her insecurities?

"Ok…" Tony grinned threateningly, his hand moving closer when she didn't respond.

"Stop! Ok, you win." JJ said weakly, baiting him.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Give it to me…and make sure I taste that sweet tongue of yours."

JJ took a deep breath and closed her eyes, moving her lips to his.

"Keep your eyes open." He told her firmly.

JJ's eyes snapped open obediently. Their lips closed the distance; they were just about to touch, when in a flash JJ brought her knee up hard, catching Tony in the thigh. He pulled back and let out a surprised grunt. He recovered quickly however, quicker than JJ would've liked, as he never lost his hold on the rope around her wrists.

"That wasn't very nice Jennifer. I do like some feistiness though, it turns me on." His eyes gleamed.

Tony's hand grabbed a firm hold on her hair and yanked back, tilting JJ's neck and causing her to hiss in pain. With her mouth open, Tony attacked, taking what he wanted.

As his lips forcefully took hold of hers, JJ decided that now was not the time to back down. Forcing her top jaw down with as much strength as she could muster, she sank her teeth into his lip. Tony jumped back surprised, and the kiss abruptly ended. JJ couldn't hide the small smirk on her face as she watched him lick a drop of blood from his lip.

"That wasn't very nice, Jennifer." He said more coldly, giving her hair another yank. He moved in again, and JJ nipped at him, causing him to pull back before she could catch him again.

"You're cute…" He tapped the top of her nose with his index finger. "But try that again, and you will regret it."

JJ stared into his eyes and saw the anger they held. She could tell that the threat was indeed real. She couldn't contain the small whimper that left her mouth as he brought his hand up and roughly cupped her jaw. His fingers dug deep, forcing her mouth open as her jaw felt like it was bruising under his strong grip. Tony forced his mouth to hers once more, and this time she didn't bite him.

JJ tried not to squirm when she felt their tongues meet, his teasing hers before it explored the inside of her mouth. The mint taste was grossly refreshing, making her stomach feel even more queasy than before.

Finally, JJ was able to roughly yank her head away, making him stop. Tony licked his lips in satisfaction. Just as JJ was beginning to gather her breath from the kiss, it rushed from her lungs again as he unexpectedly gave her breast a hard squeeze.

"Mhm…what is this? Is your nipple hard…Jennifer?" Tony chuckled with glee at some of the payback he had inflicted on her.

"What…? No!" JJ reacted mortified, trying to get out of his grasp as his hand palmed her breast.

"Now that's what I'm talking about! See you're learning already, we're making progress." He said excitedly, finally removing his hand from her chest. JJ returned his look with one of disgust.

"I'd say we've reached a good starting point to build off of. Baby steps, these things take time. Tonight's all about building a foundation and starting to get to know each other." Tony said happily as he gave her some space to breathe.

JJ turned her head away, tired and angry at the site of his happy eyes. For whatever reason her eyes drifted to the bed, her body reminding her of how late it was and how long the last few days had been. She quickly tried to bury the thoughts and snap her head away from it before Tony saw her, but it was too late.

"You're looking a little tired JJ, I'm sure it's been a long, stressful evening for you." Tony said softly, his hand trailing down her neck and to the base of her shoulder, rubbing under the collar of her shirt.

"I'm fine." JJ said shortly, not sure what he would otherwise have in mind, and not particularly wanting to find out.

"No, I think it's time for bed. We can talk more tomorrow, it's late." Tony pulled her closer, his hand pushing her collar back from her neck. He leant down and lightly kissed her cheek. Then he did it again, his hand still rubbing her shoulder.

"Come on, let's go." He told her almost soothingly.

Tony moved away from her, holding on to the rope as he crossed the room and turned out the light. JJ felt panicked for a moment as the darkness enveloped her. She was alone with this stranger and she couldn't see. The rope on her wrists allowed her to follow where she thought he was moving to. Suddenly there was a click, and a small lamp turned on. The lamp was the only thing on the small table next to the bed.

"Come on, Jay-Jay." Tony called her, almost seductively, pulling the rope gently to get her to move.

JJ took a couple steps forward, stopping when the tension on the rope had once again eased. She watched him, her eyes wide and her mouth partially open as he pulled off his shirt, revealing a firm chest and a six-pack. He seemed almost oblivious to her frozen staring. He just continued about his business, sliding out of his boots and socks, unbuckling his belt, pulling down his expensive jeans, until he was sitting on the edge of the bed in only his underwear.

Tony had felt her eyes on him, and it pleased him. He knew she wouldn't help but to find him at least a little physically attractive. It was just another thing he could use against her. With his clothes piled off to the side, he turned his eyes back to JJ, finding her stationary in her same spot as before.

"Seriously, JJ, it's time to get some sleep." Tony said more sternly, giving the rope another tug, slowly pulling her to him.

"No…" her voice whispered, her eyes filled with fear.

JJ couldn't hide it this time, she was petrified. This was her worst nightmare come true if he was about to do what she thought he was. Tony pulled her until she stood in front of him, his head only a couple of inches from her stomach. He wrapped the end of the rope tightly around the nearest bedpost, making it impossible for JJ to get away.

"I told you…it's time for bed…what don't you get about that?" He asked her as he stared into her scared blue eyes.

"I'll…I'll sleep somewhere else, the couch maybe?" JJ tried, swallowing the bile in her throat.

"Don't be silly." Tony chuckled, his arms reaching out and wrapping around JJ's tiny waist.

"You have to sleep in the bed…with me. That's just how we do things here." He told her simply.

JJ jumped when she felt his fingers travel from the bottom of her blouse to the underside of her butt, his fingers tracing the crevice between her cheeks suggestively. Tony was enjoying this, maybe too much. She was clearly scared and out of her element, and he was taking full advantage of it. Having the petite blonde in his grasp, the woman he had been lusting after since he had laid eyes on her, touching her so sensually and intimately, he couldn't be happier.

"Well, I'm keeping my clothes on." JJ tried firmly, trying not to eye his state of undress, even if her confidence had almost left her at this point, the stress and exhaustion becoming too much.

Tony looked up at JJ so she could see his eyes, see he meant what he was about to say.

"No, you're not…at least not most of them."

JJ felt her heart plunge, she was ready to dry heave.

"I'm…I'm not doing this." She shuttered, trying to get away, to run, but finding herself impossibly restrained to the bedpost.

"Yes you are, you don't have a choice." Tony told her, his fingers traveling around her waist to her front.

"Please, don't do this. I'm asking you nicely. If you take this too far you'll regret this, I'm a federal agent." JJ said more frantically as she felt his fingers unbutton her slacks.

"This is happening, and I know who you are Jennifer, what you do. There is no need to remind me. Don't beg…unless I tell you to." Tony ordered her, his fingers scraping down her thighs as he guided her pants down.

When he reached her ankles, Tony firmly grabbed one, then the other, pulling her boots off then her socks despite JJ's resistance. He kept her pants wrapped around her ankles as he did this, preventing her from trying to kick out at him. Sure enough, when he had removed the fabric from one of her ankles, she tried to do just that, remaining expectedly defensive and feisty.

Even though he expected it, JJ's strong kick still caught Tony in the shoulder, sending him flying back onto the bed. Slowly he recovered, clutching his soon to be bruised shoulder as he sat up. JJ saw the look in his eyes and knew she had probably made a big mistake, but she was simply defending herself. Doing what she was trained to do, doing what was in her instinct.

Tony stood his body in front of hers. His hand moved towards her and JJ closed her eyes, flinching away from the expected impending beating she was likely to get as punishment. Instead he reached up and smoothed down her tangled hair, speaking calmly.

"I realize you were only protecting yourself, JJ, but that was unwise. You are going to have to get used to my hands on you, whether you like it or not. I _will _have to punish you for what you just did. You aren't learning. My patience is beginning to run thin tonight." Tony told her, his hand caressing her hair almost contradicting his harsh words.

"I will _never _get used to your touch or ever _willingly_ let you touch me! You can punish me all you want!" She spat angrily at him. Tony smiled, chuckling under his breath.

"We will see JJ, all in good time. We'll see what you say after I punish you." He said confidently, his fingers moving to the buttons on her blouse. Very slowly he opened her shirt, his eyes drinking in the sight that each opened button revealed to him until JJ's blouse hung loosely at her tied arms.

"You, Jennifer, were worth every bit of trouble I had to go through to get you here." Tony smiled happily, his lips grazing JJ's cheek while his hand gently explored her flat stomach.

He couldn't get over how beautiful she was, the site of her, standing there before him in only her underwear. It made him want her, _badly_. Her body was so perfect up close, her skin so creamy, and he hadn't even seen the best of what she had to offer.

JJ shivered, a chill running up her spine as Tony gently, intimately, caressed her uncovered body; touching it as if he owned it, as if it belonged to him. As if she _wanted_ this. Carefully, he sat back at the edge of the bed, his hands firmly on her hips, as he brought his lips to her skin, his lips oh-so-lightly kissing her navel. JJ bit her lip to suppress the gasp of pleasure that nearly escaped her.

"Don't, don't do that." She tried. Tony smiled into her skin, kissing her again.

"I told you, don't beg. And don't tell me what to do…_I _tell _you _what to do." He said, making his point by dragging his tongue in a circle around her belly button.

JJ closed her eyes, hating the man in front of her; the man who was slowly stripping her of her control, her identity. The man who was taking things from her that weren't his to take. His hand pressed firmly to her back side, that great ass that he loved so much, forcing her forward so he could better taste and suck on her skin.

"I hate you." JJ said out loud what she was thinking. Tony laughed into her belly, sending vibrations through her body.

"We'll see." He said simply, letting her mind come up with scenarios where she would be proven wrong.

When Tony got tired of tasting her lovely skin, he decided it was time for her punishment so they could finally go to bed. He pulled away and held her, his hands on her sides, admiring JJ's body and the work he had done to it, his saliva almost glistening on her stomach. He slowly moved his hands down her, suggestively, until they sat just above her knees. He admired her lovely legs for a moment, before telling himself to focus.

"I think it's time for your punishment…Jay-Jay." He smiled, letting her name roll slowly, dangerously off his lips.

"What, that wasn't it?" She offered, having really hoped his previous actions would have been his idea of punishment. Tony looked at her and chuckled, a sly grin on his face.

"Hardly."

JJ immediately tensed again, every muscle trying to prepare itself in defense of what was about to happen.

"You know, Jennifer, I barely knew my father…he was hardly ever around…" Tony began, his fingers crawling up her thighs, their destination quickly apparent. JJ immediately tried to push her legs together as his fingers crawled higher and higher.

"But…one thing he taught me from a young age was the importance of being a man…and controlling your woman…" Tony gripped her thighs, forcing them apart, sitting forward on the bed, and forcing a leg between them so she couldn't stop him.

"You see…a man needs to establish his dominance, to show a woman who is in charge. If a woman has any form of wit, if she is trained effectively, then eventually she will learn…she will understand the consequences…she will become properly obedient. My father taught me a few techniques to reach this end, although the one I have in mind for you I had to learn on my own, I was too young at the time." Tony explained chillingly as he continued to rub her legs firmly.

'_Oh God, he's one of those.' _JJ bemoaned to herself as she saw the look in his eyes and considered his words.

'_Not only does he appear to be a narcissist, but he could also be a sexual sadist with mommy and daddy issues. Great.'_ JJ thought as she tried to profile the increasingly complicated man in front of her. She wasn't an ace profiler like her teammates by any means, and she still knew very little of the man in front of her, but so far her brief captivity was already yielding frightening results.

"Please…don't do this…I'm sorry." JJ was brought out of her thoughts, pride be damned as his fingers approached the edge of her panties.

"I told you not to beg JJ. You're going to have to start listening to me or I'm going to make your punishment worse. Get it through that pretty head of yours." Tony told her coldly this time, his frustrations growing at her consistent disobeying.

His fingers curled around the elastic waistband to her underwear, and JJ clenched her eyes shut in anticipation of what he was about to do. She tried her hardest to shift out of his reach, but her tied wrists and pinned legs against his body left no room for movement.

JJ clenched her eyes tighter and ground her jaw when Tony made his move. He surprised her. Instead of pulling the article of clothing down, he pulled it up firmly by an inch or two. Tony watched the discomfort cross over JJ's facial features at the slight wedgie he had given her, turning her modest underwear a little less modest, the fabric now pressed more scantily to the curves of her body.

He watched with pleasure as the blonde cracked her eyes open and viewed herself with a chagrined look. He could see she wanted to stop him, she wanted to tell him to stop, but he was in the middle of teaching her just that; she couldn't. Meeting her eyes, he couldn't hide the satisfaction he felt at her discomfort.

"Not what you were expecting? That's ok…I'm sure you were more prepared for this next part." Tony said with steely eyes as he brought his hand to her.

JJ couldn't stop the gasp from her mouth, or the tear that trickled down her cheek, as he very lightly ran his finger up the center of her panties. Another finger traced the path of the first one and JJ began to frantically tug at the ropes around her wrists.

"Stop! I'm sorry, stop!" She tried as he ran another finger over her.

"You are _very, very_ beautiful Jennifer…but there's one thing you need to learn…if I tell you I'm going to punish you, I mean it." Tony said, his finger applying more pressure this time.

"If I have to punish you, it's probably something you won't want me to do." He said, touching her again, watching as her body began to shake. He brought his face close to her, continuing his ministrations. He inhaled the scent of her covered womanhood deeply, groaning and licking his lips to the sensual response he received.

Tony continued to touch her, tracing patterns over her underwear with alternating pressure. A couple more tears trailed down JJ's cheeks despite her best efforts to hold them at bay as she leaned her restrained arms against the bedpost, her body exhausted and violated even if he hadn't actually penetrated her. She could feel her body slowly building up in response to his touch, and she hated herself for it. She was getting closer, and closer, and just when she thought she was going to completely embarrass herself, he stopped.

Tony knew she was close, _so close_, to losing it for him, but that would be too easy. It was too easy to build her up and make her come for him, it would be a lot more powerful to build her up and then deny her the release her body craved. Doing this, would show her a lot more effectively of the power he held over her.

JJ's breathing slowed as her body came back down and the tears began to dry. Quietly, Tony stood from the bed and walked into the bathroom, giving her a moment's peace. JJ could hear him unlocking something in the other room, pausing, and then locking it back up again. This time JJ didn't let her curiosity get the best of her. She kept her forehead pressed against the bedpost, her back to Tony, as she could sense him approaching.

"You have the most perfect ass…Jennifer." He breathed, crouching down and placing a kiss on JJ's lower back, just above her panty line.

JJ bit her lip hard to keep from saying anything when his hand gave her a firm squeeze, so hard it lifted her onto her tippy-toes. When he let go she could still feel his hand, feel the bruising from his fingertips biting into her. She wanted to tell him, order him, _beg_ him to leave her alone, but if there was one thing she had learned from tonight, it was that she couldn't; not without deeply regretting it.

"I will say, if you're going to be here you're going to need some clothes, and some better lingerie. I love your clothes, even your practical choice of underwear, but you can't wear the same thing every day. It could use a bit of a personal touch from me." Tony spoke, standing as his fingers prepared the object in his hand.

JJ cringed, only imagining what kind of clothes this whack-job would pick out for her. She was sure it would be something she would loathe. She flinched when he put his hand firmly on her shoulder. Turning her neck to the side just a little, JJ saw the needle out of the corner of her eye just before it entered the skin on the back of her shoulder.

"No!" She shouted, tugging as hard as she could against the rope as the needle emptied into her.

"Take it easy, or when I pull this from your shoulder it's going to leave a painful cut. The deed is already done. You have no further reason to fight it." Tony whispered into her hair.

JJ took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm as she knew he was right. Immediately he rewarded her by removing the needle and walking back to the bathroom to properly cleanse and stash it. JJ could hear the faucet running as her head raced to figure out what he had given her. Was it another sedative? Was it something worse like a hard drug? Her body didn't feel any different, _yet_. Tony returned and this time JJ turned to meet him, not wanting to be caught with another surprise.

"What did you give me?" She asked, her eyes bearing into his darkly.

"It's just a little something to help you sleep. It's different from what you were given before, but it'll have rather similar results. You need your rest and so do I so we can resume things in the morning."

"I didn't need it. I don't want it."

"It's a little late now, honey. Besides, it won't do you any harm. It'll just help to put your mind at ease."

JJ stood there eyeing him as he again stood too close for comfort. She could feel the drug beginning to hit her, but for some reason she felt different than she had the previous two times. He wiped the drying tears from her cheeks, and lightly kissed her on the lips. JJ merely stood there, letting him kiss her rather than resisting him again. Her will to fight him was broken for tonight. As he pulled away, enjoying every last bit of her moist lips, his eyes met hers.

"I think we've made some great progress tonight, JJ. Hopefully you have a better understanding of why you are here. And, some of the potential consequences if you disobey me."

JJ glanced away, she was too tired, too angry and feeling too light-headed to meet his eyes. He walked away as JJ simply stood there, trying to process everything that happened, what it all meant, what was going to happen to her if her team didn't find her.

Tony returned a moment later with a glass of water. He took a sip first, and then offered it to her. JJ hesitated, but she desperately wanted to get the minty taste of him out of her mouth. She chugged half the glass down in a large gulp.

Without a word, Tony placed the glass on the side table next to the lamp. His hands moved to JJ's wrists, and in a move that surprised her, he untied her binds. JJ looked at him confused, rubbing her wrists as she did. Tony said nothing, reaching around and pulling her blouse the rest of the way off her arms and tossing it to the floor, on top of her pants.

"We don't wear most of our clothes to bed." Tony explained to her, grabbing the rope again as he pushed her onto the bed. JJ couldn't fight him in her weakened state, compliantly letting him tie her wrists gently to the bedpost above her head.

"With time, this won't be necessary." He told her, lightly kissing her cheek as he lay down beside her.

JJ remained on her side, her back to him, as it was the least painful position on her wrists other than lying on her back. She didn't want to roll over and be reminded that it was Tony next to her and not Spence. At least this way she could pretend.

'_Pretend._' She told herself as she felt his body close in on hers, his body firmly pressed to her backside so that they were spooning.

JJ sniffled back a tear, willing herself not to cry as one of his hands possessively found her thigh.

'_Pretend_.' She repeated, feeling sick as she felt his warm breath on the hairs on the back of her neck.

'_Pretend._' She repeated over and over again, willing Spencer to find her, willing herself to escape from this nightmare as the drug took hold.

**AN: I know, I was a bit mean to JJ this chapter. I have to say it will **_**probably**_** continue for a while as I didn't exactly go easy on JJ or Reid in this story. I know so far most of what's happened to JJ has been more sexual based. While there is certainly a sexual element, there is more to this story than just that. This isn't just one of **_**those **_**stories. There is more depth to it, at least I hope so. Also, I may have made JJ seem a little weak, but I promise, she won't be a sniveling weakling. She won't be season 7 either, she'll be somewhere in the middle. Anyway, I thought it was necessary to explain my thinking behind this, thanks.**


	14. Discussing Details

After the nightmare he had, Spencer couldn't sleep. He tried to close his eyes, but when he did images of the vivid dream would assault his eyes. He tried pacing until he got tired. He got up and drank some water. He tried to read, but he couldn't focus. It was useless. By the time he had given up he had gotten _maybe_ three hours of sleep when the night turned to early dawn.

After taking a quick shower and throwing on a clean pair of clothes, Spencer decided to head back to the precinct, not worrying about when his team would show up or the state they would find him in. He knew they would be up early as well, that it would only be an hour or two until they were also at the station.

When he walked in, Spencer wasn't surprised to find that the few people there were mostly the same faces he had seen when he left, the officers who had the overnight shift. He made eye contact with a few and nodded grimly out of respect when they acknowledged him.

Seeing that the table was as he left it, Spencer decided his first course of action should be to make himself a strong cup of coffee. Once he successfully had the coffee in hand, he sat in the familiar chair and began scribbling notes. His mind was so deep in thought, it hardly hit him when he finished the first coffee and stood to make another. Sitting, he continued about his business, absently sipping the scalding drink as he went. Time passed in a blur. The sound of one of the officers dropping a binder in the distance startled him just as he reached for another sip of coffee.

"Shit! No!" He cursed loudly as the cup slipped out of his hand and spilled right on some of the notes he had been writing, ruining them.

"Could you make any more noise?" Spencer glared angrily at the offender as he did his best to clean up the mess he had made. Most of the notes the coffee had touched were ruined, he would have to waste valuable time re-writing them.

"Son of a bitch, I can't catch a break." He cursed in frustration under his breath.

Spencer knew he was tense, and exhausted, this really wasn't like him. He scribbled hurriedly to return to the point he had reached, his coffee magically refilled itself two more times. He had just finished re-writing the last of his notes when the team walked in together as a group. He barely looked up to acknowledge them. He knew they wouldn't be surprised to see him. He also knew he looked like crap and it would be easy for them to see that he hadn't slept much. He didn't care. All he cared about was finding JJ.

"Ok let's go over what we have." Hotchner said as he sat down, cutting to the chase after giving Reid a small nod.

"I talked to one of the officers. They didn't have any luck with the blockades. They came up empty." Emily stated quietly.

"Are the blockades still in place?" Spencer asked without looking up to make eye contact.

"Most of the smaller ones have been dissolved. They have two left; one where the road splits and heads off onto another main road in the direction of Texas, the other is right near the border of New Mexico. They've kindly agreed to keep them up through noon. They think, and I would have to agree, if we don't come up with her by then that keeping the blockades up will be a waste of time and man power." Emily finished.

"Obviously it would be helpful if they kept the blockades up for as long as possible, but the odds the unsubs are simply 'waiting out' the blockades are pretty slim. If the police don't have anything by now then we were either too late or they turned off onto a side road somewhere." Spencer conceded, surprising his team that he had done so as easily as he had.

"Given the nature of the crime and abduction, and the amount of time that has passed, it would seem likely that our unsubs already have JJ at her intended destination, or at least at a hideout somewhere." Rossi agreed.

"We know this was well planned, they had to anticipate that we would react quickly to block off the roads." Morgan added.

"It was done as an extra precaution just in case we got something. We'll take what the police can give us, you never know." Hotchner concluded. "What is the word on Deputy Brewer?"

"I talked to Garcia. I told her what happened and she was pretty upset as you would expect. She called the hospital. They say Brewer is conscious and should make a full recovery. He was asked some 'light' questions by the officer guarding his room, but he claims he doesn't really know what happened; there wasn't much to go on. He's resting now and he expects we'll be by later this morning to interview him." Morgan spoke, his eyes glancing at the people around the table.

"I'll be there to talk to him as soon as we're done here." Spencer mumbled quietly.

Hotchner eyed him.

"We'll see. If you do go one of us will go with you."

Spencer looked up to protest, but the look from Hotch silenced him.

"I spoke with the crime techs. They finished processing the scene last night." Rossi began, almost ignoring the body language between Hotchner and Reid.

"The SUV was towed back to the lab to be analyzed. They focused specifically on the tire that was punctured, and also ran tests on JJ's jacket and recovered possessions." Rossi said, looking down at his notes.

Without thinking Spencer's hand went into his pocket, fingering the familiar necklace that hadn't left his side since he had found it. He knew how much it meant to JJ. Now it really meant something to him too. He knew it wasn't the smartest thing for him to do, but he didn't consider that piece of her to be evidence. If there weren't prints on her recovered belongings, then there wouldn't be prints on the necklace either.

"Anything helpful?" Emily asked.

"There wasn't anything helpful on her belongings unfortunately. These guys appear to have been very thorough. No prints, no hairs, no DNA left behind. Whoever did this likely wore gloves. Seeing as there weren't any fibers left behind by the gloves, the techs hypothesize that the gloves used could have been latex, plastic or some sort of leather." Rossi read.

"Seeing as they were on a time crunch, they probably used gloves that wouldn't restrict their hands too much when taking JJ's things, and they would have to be easy and not overly suspicious to dispose of." Morgan spoke.

"So we can assume they were probably latex or plastic, something a doctor might use." Emily said.

"That really doesn't help us much. A person can easily go to a drug store and pick up a box of them. Even running a search on a purchase of such a thing would likely yield a large amount of results." Spencer replied.

"At this point with what we have, anything is worth lucking into. I'll have Garcia look into it when I talk to her." Morgan said, meeting eyes with Hotchner who nodded his agreement.

"The SUV they are still searching, but again nothing so far. As for the tire, they have matched up the hole in the tire and they did recover a bullet at the scene." Rossi continued. "It is a consistent caliber to that of a hunting rifle. Given the projected trajectory of the bullet and where we assume the getaway car was parked, it appears the person who fired it was hiding behind the rock formation near where we found the tire tracks."

"Were there any footprints?" Emily asked.

"Not near the rock formation, no. They may have been scuffed away." Rossi shook his head negatively.

"Garcia did tell me that they recovered the two separate prints and they were able to verify that they weren't ours. One was a man's size ten boot print. The other was a man's size eight print." Morgan added.

"So we do know definitively that there were two unsubs." Emily stated.

"It would appear so. Is there anything else?" Hotchner asked, looking to Rossi and then around at the rest of the table. He was met with tired, somewhat glum looks.

"What have you been working on Reid?" Morgan asked, bringing everyone's focus onto the young genius. Looking down at his notes, he decided it would be better to let them in on what he was thinking, rather than to just shut them out.

"I've been going through all the information, considering different scenarios. The evidence, the situation, the speed and precision in which this was carried out, all suggest that this was premeditated and that JJ was the target. The question is why she was the target, and how did any of us, including her, not see this coming?"

"We were all focused on the case in front of us Reid." Morgan said.

"I know, I know. I'm not trying to blame anyone. What I'm saying is obviously if this _was _planned and JJ _was_ the specific target, then someone would've had to be watching us. There isn't any other relevant explanation unless she was a random target, which is looking less and less likely."

"We could go back to the hotel, check records. I don't think someone would be ballsy enough to stalk her out here." Morgan said.

"Unless they saw her somewhere else; when she went to eat or get coffee, or when she gave the press conference." Emily added. Spencer nodded.

"It's all possible. Personally, I think the press conference unintentionally drew our abductor's attention to JJ, it seems the most logical."

"We could gather a list of all the known people who attended the conference, have Garcia run background checks on them all." Rossi suggested.

"I'm sure the precinct has cameras up outside, we could review them. Maybe even see if the buildings across the street have them and review those too so we can cover the whole area." Morgan added.

"I think that would be a good starting point." Hotchner agreed. "Is there anything else Reid?"

"I also considered the different reasons for having a two man team besides the obvious strength in numbers. Maybe they both had an interest in her, maybe one is dominant and one is submissive, or maybe they both work for someone else. I think either of the last two are the most likely."

"I would agree. One man likely wanted her, for whatever purpose, and brought his friend or friends into this to help him reach that end. The way these two appeared to operate would certainly suggest they knew each other pretty well, they weren't strangers." Rossi said.

"But _why_ JJ? She's an FBI agent, that's a hell of a risk." Emily asked.

"Maybe it was more of a rush for them to take someone in such a position of power, to gain that control over her." Morgan suggested.

"Making her leave her belongings behind suggests they wanted her to leave her old life behind for the new life whoever wanted her is looking to provide. I don't think it was done out of remorse or to taunt us." Spencer spoke quietly.

"That would be a pretty strong way of controlling someone, making them start their life over merely for the purpose of the person who abducted them. JJ certainly wouldn't be the easiest candidate either." Emily said.

"It's probably part of his game." Morgan mumbled.

"I agree. JJ's a fighter. But Reid certainly seems to have a strong train of thought on this. I think many of the ideas he has presented are very plausible. Now, we have to find a mistake they have already made. They left something behind, someone had to see them at some point for them to get so close to JJ. We just have to find it." Hotchner said.

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack." Morgan sighed, leaning back.

"Maybe, maybe not." Hotchner responded inconclusively.

"So where do we go from here?" Emily asked.

"We start by giving Garcia everything we have so she can begin searching. We need to interview Brewer first and foremost, and we should review the tapes. If possible, we also need to re-interview the Suarez family on the off chance they saw anything suspicious." Hotchner directed.

"That's a long way to go for potentially nothing. We already made that mistake yesterday." Morgan reminded.

"Hey, if it helps us find JJ we need to do it." Spencer cut in abruptly.

"Easy, I was just giving my opinion." Morgan put his hand up defensively.

Hotchner sighed, knowing the next part was also going to be met with resistance. Looking to Rossi, he could tell the older man knew what he was thinking. A slight nod from Rossi confirmed that he had the man's support.

"There is one other thing..." Hotchner began, regaining the attention at the table. "We still have the original case to solve…"

"Hotch, JJ has to take priority!" Spencer cut in.

"Reid we can't just abandon the original case either. We will give JJ's case all the focus and attention we can, we will make it as much of a priority as possible, but there is still a slim chance that the two cases could be connected. We can't afford to lose the help from the local police either, which we will if we stop looking for our original unsub."

"But Hotch JJ might not have kind of time." Spencer protested.

"We also can't afford to lose the support of the local community. Not only is the media becoming more invasive and disruptive, but we will look pretty inept if this unsub continues to kill _and _one of our agents has disappeared. We have to work both cases." He finished.

"What do you propose Hotch?" Emily asked quietly.

"We're going to need to divide up the work. The sooner we finish one case, the more we can focus our efforts on the other."

"You know which case I'm working." Spencer murmured under his breath.

Hotchner shot him another look. He opened his mouth to say something more when Moses rushed into the room.

"We have another child missing. This time the bastard took the mother too." He said with a huff as the team exchanged looks.

"That's something different. Perhaps he is devolving." Rossi spoke.

"Or the mother got in the way or he was startled, giving him no choice but to take both." Emily added.

"Where did he take them from?" Hotchner asked.

"He took them from their own home, she's a single mother." Moses replied.

"He has to be devolving. If he's desperate enough to strike a house he hasn't scouted out before, if he is leaving the public abduction sites behind, and takes that much of a risk, it's the only explanation." Morgan said.

"We need to go to the house and check it out, he had to of made a mistake somewhere. If he is that much out of his element, he'll be rushed and unfocused on minor details." Rossi added.

Hotchner nodded as he met eyes with Moses.

"Rossi, you, Prentiss and I will go to the house. The more eyes we have on this the sooner we can find his mistake."

"I'll go too." Moses spoke up.

"Reid, you will go with Morgan to the hospital to interview Brewer. _Morgan_ will be in charge of asking the questions."

"Hotch…"

"I'm not going to change my mind on this Reid. I don't want you attacking Brewer, intentionally or not. We're all compromised by the current situation, but you more so. I'm just being honest. I'm counting on Morgan to do his best in remaining objective." Hotchner stared at Morgan.

"For now, the two of you will head up the search for JJ. The rest of us will continue with the current case. We need to remain flexible at all costs. The more we work together and don't let emotions get the best of us, the sooner we can _all_ go home hopefully."

The team stood as one from the table. Spencer gathered his notes, shoving them into a folder, and moved for the exit. Morgan went to follow when Hotchner grabbed his arm.

"Watch him Morgan. If he gets out of control you need to tell me about it. I don't want to have to pull him from the case, but I will if it's in everyone's best interest. There's no telling how this might end." He warned.

"I know Hotch, don't worry I got this. I'll keep you up to speed." Morgan replied confidently, turning to go catch Reid.


	15. Life In Captivity

**AN: I apologize for the delays. I should be back on a more regular updating schedule this week. This past week was just too busy. I know some of the views for this story have been a little down, but hopefully everyone is still enjoying it, still a long way to go!**

JJ's nightmare began all over again when she awoke the following morning.

The first thing she felt were Tony's lips lightly kissing her shoulder, as if they were lovers. He had pulled her bra strap from her shoulder and it was now wrapped restrictively around her arm. JJ inwardly cringed, keeping her eyes clenched as she felt him nuzzle her hair with his nose, his mouth desperately trying to squish into the sensitive crease in the side of her neck.

The second thing she became aware of, not a second later, was his hard morning wood pressing into her bottom, positioned so it was almost between her cheeks.

JJ gulped, trying not to gag as the bile rose in her throat and threatened to spill out everywhere. It was too early for this. She had just escaped this hell for the slightly more comfortable dreamland she had been in, courtesy of the drugs he had given her.

Now she was back in this position, _again, _too soon. And if she knew anything, she was sure today would be even worse. More boundaries would be pushed, more barriers broken, more 'lessons' to be taught. JJ reminded herself that she was strong, that she could get through this. She just had to be smart, use this man's obvious affection for her to her advantage just as he had used her disaffection for him to his advantage. She just had to flip things around, she just wasn't sure she knew how. She wasn't confident she could pull it off. She couldn't get past her current self-doubt.

'_Stop it Jareau, you're the damn media liaison. Manipulating people is your life. Stop with the defeatist attitude.'_ JJ scolded herself.

She tried her damndest to keep her eyes shut and to keep quiet when Tony found that sensitive spot on her neck he had been searching for.

'_Damn this man._' JJ cursed as pleasure coursed through her veins. His hand on her thigh wasn't making things much easier for her to keep the 'still sleeping' ruse going either.

JJ tried to re-immerse herself in her thoughts. In a strategy of how she could manipulate this man; this evil, evil man who was doing everything in his power to make her moan. She bit down on her tongue until she was ready to scream, his lips sucking on her pulse point, his teeth grazing said spot, marking her just a little.

Tony was obviously good at manipulation; as good as she was if not better. If she wanted to come out of this, until her team found her, she would have to see his tricks coming, and do everything in her power to turn his ploy against him.

JJ cracked her eye open just a bit, her eye looking around the room so she could venture a guess as to what time it was. There was a lot of light shining through the curtain she had opened the previous night. It had to be mid-morning, maybe about nine-thirty or ten. JJ thought about what this meant as she quickly closed her eye shut again.

Ten o'clock, that meant she had slept six, maybe seven hours if she were really lucky. If that were true, then she had slept as well as she had in a while. She was usually lucky if she got close to six hours.

JJ took stock of her body, as best as she could while still ignoring the man next to her. She felt drowsy and a little weak from the drug, however she felt more energized than she had the previous night. She had renewed strength; both physical and mental she coaxed herself. She was in a better place to handle this, to avoid cracking and breaking as she had last night. She just had to prepare herself. She had to realize things might happen that she didn't like, she might have to _do _things she didn't like, that she despised. If it gave her team more time to find her, kept her alive, kept her from going through _really _terrible things, then she would have to do it. She'd been taken around nine last night she figured, that was about the time she had sent her last text to Spence.

'_Fuck'_ JJ nearly jumped as Tony's hand slid just under the waistband of her panties, rubbing her butt. His fingers lightly tracing the few tender bruises he had left when he squeezed her a little too hard the night before.

'_Just be glad it's not your_ _front._' She countered in her head.

If this was how she had to deal with things, then she would; whatever it took to make it through this. If she had to come up with an opposing positive point to everything that happened to her, then that's what she would do.

'_Focus._' JJ reminded herself, ignoring his hand and his lips.

Her last text to Spence was around nine…worst case if he got it and knew she had a flat tire they would wait maybe an hour and a half or two hours. Although, if he texted her back, especially if it were a question, and she didn't respond, then knowing him he would be out there to find her within the hour. So, if she surmised correctly, her team would find that she was missing sometime between ten and midnight at the latest. That wasn't even considering if Brewer woke up first and called for help, though she remembered that he looked to be in some rough shape.

Anyway, considering that it was now sometime around ten, that meant her team had been searching for her for anywhere between ten and twelve hours. That was half a day! Surely they would have found some sort of evidence. Maybe they hadn't actually cracked the case, but they certainly would be on the trail by now. What was it that Spence was always saying? Something about finding kidnap victims in the first forty-eight hours?

'_That's for homicides you idiot.' _The working half of JJ's brain reminded her rudely.

'_Damn, I don't know what he gave me, but I'm not thinking straight._' She became a little worried and abnormally nervous.

'_It has to be normal. After all I was drugged THREE times in the span of a few hours. Of course I wouldn't be completely normal yet.' _JJ continued to talk to herself inside her head.

Well regardless, she had survived the first ten hours so far. Whether it was true or not, she decided to hold onto the 'forty-eight hours' theory for the sake of her own sanity; whatever it took to help her get through this. She was almost a quarter of the way there. That was a small victory she would have to hold onto. She knew her team would find her by then, there wasn't a chance they wouldn't, not with Spencer's smart brain on the case.

'_Spence._' Her head flashed, trying to ignore as Tony's teeth lightly nipped her shoulder.

'_The damn man doesn't quit._' JJ cursed, growing frustrated.

Spence was probably so worried about her. He probably hadn't eaten, hadn't slept. He had probably drained the police station of all its coffee as soon as he found out she was missing. He was probably heartbroken, his body stressed to the max. Her poor Spence…

"Come on _precious_, time to wake up." Tony whispered, kissing her jaw.

JJ didn't want to open her eyes; she _really _didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to face this, not yet. At least when she pretended to be asleep she couldn't give him the satisfaction that she felt his touches, his kisses, even if she painfully could.

"Come on Jay-Jay." He called lightly, his hand leaving her back for her hip, tracing over the fabric of her underwear until his hand was back on her thigh, perilously close to her front.

JJ didn't want to experience that again. Slowly, in order to keep up the façade, her eyes drifted open, as if she were truly waking for the first time. She turned slightly, looking over her shoulder, immediately met by those waiting hazel eyes.

Tony didn't wait; his lips were immediately pressed to hers, in what under different circumstances would have been a rousing 'good morning' kiss. When the need to breathe became too much, his lips parted from hers.

"Good morning, JJ. I hope you slept well, you were out pretty deep." He commented, his hands gently rolling JJ onto her back so he could get a better look at her face.

JJ let him willingly, knowing she had to pick her spots to resist him. He had made it clear to her last night that he would put her through hell if she fought him at every corner.

Noticing that her bra was slipping, Tony carefully pulled the strap back into place on her shoulder, preventing her from losing any of her modesty. JJ was caught a little off guard by this. Yes, it was a small thing, but it was almost a complete change in attitude from last night when he had groped her so intimately.

"What would you like for breakfast?" He asked her, his hand dipping under the sheets and finding her stomach. As if on cue, JJ's stomach betrayed her, growling loudly into his hand.

"What are my options?" JJ asked him firmly. She was trying her damndest to ignore his touch. To show him that it wouldn't work like it had last night. It wouldn't break her. She wouldn't become a weak, sniveling mess.

"How about I call for a variety of things, and we can both just pick and choose what we want?" Tony offered.

"Call? Call who?" She didn't understand.

"The kitchen. We have a couple of kitchens here. The adjoining one you saw is mostly just for snacks when I need something quick. We have some great chefs here." He explained to her, his fingers lightly tracing her ribs.

"Uh…ok, sure." JJ smiled weakly as Tony smiled back.

"Great." He leaned over, giving her another quick kiss on the lips.

He stood from the bed, grabbing his phone out of his pants and placing a quick call to the kitchen as JJ lay there, watching him. She tried to study his mannerisms. She wasn't a profiler, but maybe she could pick up things about him if she studied him long enough. Her idea was cut short when he hung up his phone and turned back to her.

Tony stood there for a moment, blatantly admiring her half covered body from where she laid on the bed. JJ tried her hardest to simply return the stare, to bury her insecurities so he couldn't see them.

Finally, Tony smiled, picking up both their piles of clothes and placing hers on the foot of the bed. Without a word he walked to the closest closet and threw his dirty clothes in. He carefully picked out a new outfit, seemingly taking more time than necessary. When he was finally satisfied with what he had chosen, he walked into the bathroom.

JJ lay there, a little uncomfortable as she heard the water to the shower turn on.

'_At least I finally have a moment to myself._' She thought. Even if it was tied half-naked to a bed, while her arms ached and her wrists hurt. It was still, without question, better than the alternative of Tony's presence.

The moments passed quicker than JJ would have liked as her thoughts drifted back to Spencer and how she missed him. Before she knew it, the door to the bathroom opened and Tony re-entered the room, fully dressed as he towel dried his hair. Turning his head to the bed, he smiled when he saw JJ watching him.

"Ok, it's your turn." He stated, dropping the towel on the bed.

Again JJ was surprised. She was also a bit relieved as she desperately needed to go to the bathroom. He hovered over her as he gently untied her connected wrists from the bedpost. Tony helped her to her feet, keeping her wrists tied together as he grabbed her clothes and led JJ to the bathroom. Tossing her clothing on the counter by the sink, he looked at her seriously.

"I'm going to untie you. You can use the bathroom to freshen up a bit and even take a quick shower if you would like. There are standard feminine soaps that other members of the group so kindly _donated_ that you can use. I put them out by the sink for you." He pointed, and her eyes followed.

JJ looked at him almost incredulous, there had to be a catch, why was he being so nice to her? Was he trying to win her over with his perceived generosity? Was this part of his strategy to get her to drop her guard so she would begin to trust him? She didn't know and honestly, she could think about it later. Right now she just had to take what she could and be happy with it.

"Do not take advantage of my generosity, I'm warning you now. There will be consequences if you do." Tony said as he stared at her.

"Such as?" JJ questioned, wanting to show him she still had the same fight in her.

"I don't know, maybe a loss of shower privileges, _alone _shower privileges anyway." He looked at her suggestively. JJ glanced away. They both knew she had every idea of what he meant.

"I understand." She said quietly, watching as he began to loosen the rope from her wrists.

"Good. Now, before I let you go, I want something from you." He said evenly, his hand lifting her chin so she would look him in the eye.

'_There's the catch.' _JJ buried the sense of dread in the pit of her stomach.

"What would that be?" She asked, sounding confident but not quite defensive.

Tony smiled, his thumb gently stroking the tip of her chin.

"Just something simple…a kiss and a 'thank you'." He looked deep into her eyes, searching for the same fear and uncertainty that had been there the previous night during one of his 'requests'.

JJ hid it well though, refusing to let him see through her, knowing all too well that he was testing her. He was trying to see if she would resist or if she would make the trade, giving him something he wanted for something she wanted. If she had another option, she would've taken it, but JJ knew she didn't so reluctantly she agreed, knowing Tony would view it as another personal victory.

Closing the distance between them, JJ mustered all the internal fortitude she had, kissing him as intensely as she could without throwing up. He held her wrists tightly in his hands as their lips met, disappointing JJ that she couldn't make a move for the key. Instead, she remained compliant, allowing his tongue into her mouth without a hint of disdain. When the kiss broke she looked at him, forcing a very small smile to grace her features.

"Thank you." She said in a voice that almost sounded seductive.

JJ felt sick doing it, but she told herself maybe if she could get him to trust her more, he would give her more 'privileges' and she could work a way to help get free. Tony smiled at her, again licking his lips so he could savior their kiss.

"You're welcome. Don't be too long, the food should be here soon." He told her before closing the door behind her.

Tony thought to himself as he began to make the bed. Jennifer Jareau was certainly a feisty one, but he had expected nothing less, and that had been part of the reason why he had wanted her so much; that and her body.

Tony smiled at the thought of her body. The way it felt, the way it tasted, the way she smelt when she was pressed close to him. The best part was he hadn't even explored it all. There was so much more to see, to do. For now, he held on to the simple touches and the passionate kisses he had _shared_ with her so far.

The bylaws would only allow him to go so far. He may be the leader, but he still had to abide by the teachings. Tonight, with any luck he would explore her some more, train her some more. Then, tomorrow night, he would finally be allowed to have her _fully_. Once he did, he'd have to decide once and for all if he was satisfied with her, if he wanted to keep her and add her to the group.

He had little doubt he would. Tony was entranced by the firm, petite blonde. Once she was a member of the group, once she was _truly_ his, then he could take things where he really wanted them to head; the whole reason he had taken her to begin with.

That was still a ways off however. There were a lot of things to do, a lot of training and hardship and pain to go through first. Tony had to be sure she would be able to mesh effectively into the colony. That they would accept her and that she would accept them, and their way of life. She would have to be able to live her role happily and confidently, or eventually, despite the pleasure he derived from her company, it would be all for not. Eventually, he was confident, it would all work out.

Tony could hear the water still running in the bathroom when there was a knock at the door. Always one to be cautious, he looked through the peephole and made sure it was the food he was expecting. When he saw the man with the tray of food, he opened the door. The man, knowing he wasn't allowed in the room, stood where he was as he handed over the tray of food. Tony gave him a slight nod, before closing and locking the door once more.

He walked over to the table in front of the couch and began to set out the food just as he heard the water turn off in the bathroom. He quickly finished laying out their meal before grabbing the rope and waiting outside the bathroom door for his woman. Tony didn't want to take any chances, he still didn't trust her. He knew she was trained, and there was no way he had even come close to training her effectively in the short time he had her there. He could hear her moving around in there and after another minute he called to her.

"The food is here Jennifer, time to come out." Tony waited another minute, not hearing any movement this time.

"Jennifer, come out now or I am coming in." He stated coolly.

Again he heard nothing. Letting out a sigh, he reached for the door knob just as it turned and the door flew open. She stood there in front of him, brushing out her wet hair nonchalantly with the hair brush he had left her.

"You called?" JJ said sarcastically.

She looked into his eyes, satisfied to see he didn't look overly happy, but that he also likely wouldn't do anything. He suspected she was toying with him, but he couldn't prove it. The look on his face provided JJ with a very small victory, building her confidence just a little.

"Time to eat JJ, give me your hands." He demanded.

JJ stood there, brushing her hair a few more times for good measure, knowing she was testing her luck, before she finally put the brush down. Obediently she stuck out her wrists.

Right now food was more important than fighting him off. She needed nourishment to keep her energy up, and she was absolutely starving. The rope was back around her wrists quickly, a little looser than it had been before.

Taking a long look at her, Tony grabbed his discarded towel from the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders so that her wet hair wouldn't soak through her blouse and give her a chill. JJ made sure not to acknowledge the gesture. She vowed to herself to be more stubborn today, despite the risks it brought.

Tony looked JJ up and down, eyeing her now that she was fully dressed again.

"Hopefully I can get you some new clothes today, I can't make any promises." He told her.

Again, JJ remained quiet, more interested in food than anything he had to say. Reaching out, he adjusted the collar of her blouse more to his liking and shifted his hands down.

"Leave the extra button open when I'm around. You look sexier like that, Jay-Jay." Tony told her, pushing open the button just above her breasts, giving him a better view of her cleavage and the top edge of her bra.

"You're sick." She sneered at him.

Tony chuckled, brushing off her comment.

"Hardly, my dear, I just like the little extra edginess the look brings you, it turns me on."

JJ gave him a look of disgust. She wanted nothing more than to call him a pig, to tell him what she really thought of him, but she reminded herself food was her number one priority at the moment.

Tony could see her internally debating whether or not she should challenge him. He knew she wanted to, badly. But he also knew she was starving and if she were smart, the need for survival, the need for food would out-weigh her current disdain for him.

Sure enough, she remained silent, giving Tony another victory in his mind. He held so much more power over her than she realized. It was all the little things that mattered, that built his increasing control over her. The longer she stayed here, the less chance she stood against him; it was only a matter of time.

Tony held the rope in one hand, wrapping his hand around JJ's waist with the other as he led her over to where the food was set up. Gently, he urged her to sit on the couch, as he took a seat closely beside her.

JJ's eyes immediately looked to the spread on the table, her stomach growling. There were eggs, toast, bacon, muffins, orange juice and water, set out on a tray with a plate and a fork nearby. She quickly noted that there was only _one _plate and fork.

'_Of course there is._' JJ cursed, knowing he wasn't going to trust her to hold a fork; it would be a challenge with her wrists tied together anyway.

Still, she hated how meticulous he was, he thought of everything, made everything a challenge for her. He had to control every last detail, forcing her to be reliant and compliant to him for even the most basic, taken for granted, human needs.

Tony began to pile a sampling of each bit of food on to the large plate, and poured a glass of orange juice.

"What would you like to try first?" He asked, turning to her with the plate of food, the fork at the ready.

JJ felt sick, but reminded herself she had to eat. She felt so small, so helpless, that he was going to feed her and there was nothing she could do about it. She bit her lip, forcing the smart retort that threatened to leave her mouth down.

"Uh…I'll try some eggs, please." She said as politely as she could, hoping the extra effort would go farther with him. Tony smiled, obviously pleased.

"Of course."

He dipped the fork into the scrambled eggs, retrieving a rather large piece for her. Slowly, he brought it to her lips and JJ opened her mouth to accept it. She chewed and swallowed the taste of food so good that she immediately craved more. She was forced to wait however, watching as Tony fetched himself a piece with the same fork and downed it before serving her another piece.

"How do you like them?"

"They're good." JJ responded simply after she had finished chewing.

"Good, I'm glad you like them. Would you like some juice to help wash it down?"

"Please."

Tony brought the glass to her lips, letting her take a sip before he too took a sip.

'_At least I know the food isn't drugged._' JJ tried to reassure herself, looking for something positive in the fact that she had to share everything with this man.

They ate like this until the food was completely gone. Tony had provided her with a little extra as they reached the end of their meal, knowing how hungry she had been. He had tried to strike up small talk as they ate, getting JJ to reluctantly reveal some minor things about herself such as how long she had been with the FBI, what she usually ate for breakfast, what she ate for lunch, small things that wouldn't cause her to become too defensive.

When JJ tried to ask questions about him, he kindly refused to answer them, telling her it was too soon. By then they had reached the end of their meal, and the awkward conversation came to a close.

Tony stood, leaving JJ seated on the couch. He thought about telling her to pile the dishes together, to get her to clean up, but there really wasn't much to clean and he knew she'd resist. He'd pick a better time to make her do it. As he piled the dishes together and pushed the unopened water bottle towards her, JJ watched him, studying his movements.

"I have to go to work now. You'll stay here. Feel free to find something to occupy your mind." Tony told her, looking down at her. JJ tried not to show her discomfort as she felt his eyes dip down her blouse. It wasn't like he hadn't already seen her without her shirt on, but it still didn't make her feel any less uncomfortable.

"Can I at least have my hands untied?" She asked without a hint of weakness.

Tony's lips curled up a little as he shook his head no.

"Not yet, you have to earn it."

"There isn't much I can do to keep busy if I'm stuck here with no TV, no internet, and my hands are stuck together." JJ tried to persuade him.

"You may get these things in time, Jennifer, but not yet. For now, you have to live with what I've given you."

"You haven't given me anything." JJ shot back.

Tony's face dropped a little.

"Sure I have. I gave you food, I allowed you to shower and freshen up. I could have easily just left you tied to the bed as you were, and let you watch me eat while your thin little stomach pleaded for food." He told her, the anger in his voice more noticeable.

JJ didn't say anything, averting her eyes from his so he couldn't see how angry, how frustrated, she was by the whole situation.

"I'll be back for lunch. We'll talk more about whether or not you can lose the rope when I return then." Tony told her, putting an end to any chance of more conversation.

Leaning down towards her, JJ knew what was coming. He pressed his lips to hers, giving her a firm goodbye kiss. JJ watched as he grabbed the tray and left the room, locking the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, she wiped her lips on the sleeve of her blouse, disgusted that she could taste him. She had let him kiss her, knowing he was already peeved at her for their little argument, and not wanting to risk the chance of making him angrier. It had to be around eleven now. She had just made it through another hour.

Tony was gone, to work whatever _work_ was. Although she was alone in the room with nothing to do, it also meant nothing could happen to her. It meant she would get through more of this without having to actually endure anything. It meant her team was certain to have more of those forty-eight hours to find her without something bad happening.

JJ sat on the comfortable couch like this for a while, thinking about different things, mainly her team and Spence. How much she loved him, missed him, prayed she would see him sometime _very_ soon; her knight in shining armor riding up to save his princess from her trapped, secluded state in this dark, evil 'castle'.

As she sat there for a while longer, JJ realized there was more she could be doing. She couldn't just rely on her team. She had to try to be self-sufficient, just in case they didn't find her as soon as she hoped they would.

Noticing the sunlight pouring into the room through the windows, she stood, making her way to them. Grabbing one of the chairs facing the TV, she turned it around so that it was facing the window. Sitting, JJ glanced out the window, watching from afar as other members of the colony worked, played, and conversed. It was in this moment that she became painfully aware of how alone she was. How close and yet so far she was to her freedom on the other side of the wall.

**AN: I want to thank BruisedSmile for the detailed, thorough review. I just saw it as I went to post this, so I felt it necessary to throw this on the end of the chapter. I agree about the dialogue, and while I had been hoping to avoid making that mistake, as much of this was previously written, obviously when I went to edit and post I went a little too quick. I will definitely be on the look out to try and avoid the same mistakes again. Thank you for pointing this out, and thank you to everyone still taking the time to read this, I do appreciate it!**


	16. Cognitive Interview

**AN: This is another chapter that I really had fun writing. Thank you to Daisyangel, RavenMD, and Dance Elle Dance for reviewing the last chapter!**

"Damn it Reid, slow down!" Morgan called after the young man who was setting a feverish pace through the hospital halls.

Spencer merely ignored him, in his mind every second counted in finding JJ. He would never be able to live with himself if they found JJ and they were merely a few hours, or even a few minutes, too late. He knew JJ would do everything she could to buy him as much time as she could so that he could find her. He couldn't let her down.

Morgan had to jog to finally catch up to Reid, his fingers digging into the man's shoulder to get him to stop before he barged into Deputy Brewer's room.

"Listen Reid, I'm running this interview per Hotch's orders. If you think I'm forgetting anything or you have a question you find pertinent then I'll let you ask it. But don't you dare undermine me or start verbally attacking Deputy Brewer. You have to remember he was a victim in this too."

Spencer went to say something, but decided to bite his tongue. He didn't want to give Morgan the impression that he couldn't handle this. He didn't want to be kept out of that room, from the last person who had seen JJ as far as they knew.

"You know I will Morgan. I won't do anything to jeopardize finding JJ. Let's go." He finished, taking another step towards Brewer's guarded room.

Morgan eyed Reid warily for a moment, before picking up his pace so he could lead the way into the room. After flashing their credentials, the man guarding the room allowed them to enter. Spencer's eyes immediately found Brewer on the bed. His head was wrapped and there was some ugly, purpled bruising that peaked out from under it on his forehead.

"Deputy Brewer, I'm Agent Morgan, this is Agent Reid. We'd like to ask you a few questions if you feel up to it." Morgan announced as he walked over.

"I remember who you guys are." Brewer said firmly, wincing as he tried to push himself more into a sitting position.

Morgan reached out his hand to assist the man as Spencer pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat.

"I have to be honest, it all happened quickly. I don't know how much help I'll be." The man said quietly as Morgan pulled up his own chair, folding his hands.

"Well, let's start from the beginning. You left the precinct with Agent Jareau just after noontime. Did you notice anything suspicious on the drive to the Suarez house? Anyone following you? Anyone acting suspicious or maybe broken down off to the side of the road?" Morgan began, making sure he was detailed with his questioning in hopes of sparking a memory.

Brewer sighed as he glanced between the two men in front of him. He knew they would try to be civil, but he wasn't stupid. They would likely consider him at least partially responsible for their missing friend. He wanted to be honest with them, to remember as much as he could, but deep down he also didn't want to take the brunt of the blame. He didn't have anything to hide, he felt bad that Agent Jareau was missing, but he also had a splitting headache to prove that he had nothing to do with it.

"Honestly, no. As far as I can recall there wasn't anyone broken down that _we _noticed. I don't remember seeing anyone following us either. The traffic was rather light, so I think I might've noticed."

"What do you mean you think you 'might' notice?" Reid piped up, earning a look from Morgan.

"I mean, it's not uncommon to have someone following you on that road. It's one of the few arteries leading out to the more sparsely populated areas. Not to mention it's also frequently used to travel to other states if you're leaving Guymon. A lot of the drive is pretty desolate so if someone is behind you for a while, generally you would notice, but being from the area it's not exactly out of the ordinary. As far as I know, we weren't followed." Brewer responded.

"Ok, let's keep going. You get to the Suarez household, Agent Jareau conducts the interview. Was there anything strange when you were there? Was there any suspicious activity going on inside or outside? Were they acting suspicious?" Morgan asked.

Brewer shook his head.

"Not at all. We were there for quite a while. They were hospitable. They provided us with drinks and something to chew on. They seemed like completely normal people. It just took Agent Jareau a while to get them to fully open up. They were grieving over their daughter and they had a really difficult time talking about it. Agent Jareau was impressive, but I could tell afterwards that she was kind of tired from working so hard. Beyond that, nothing. I was inside most of the time, I went out for air a few times, I didn't see a thing."

"It was getting dark when you began the drive back?"

"Yeah, it was dusk; the sun was setting pretty quickly."

"Now you're driving back…do you notice anyone behind you then?"

"No, not really. Occasionally there would be headlights, but as you know you can't always distinguish the type of vehicle, whether it's the same or not, by the headlights. I was driving pretty fast, we both wanted to get back so more times than not the headlights behind us were probably from people we had passed."

"How was Agent Jareau during this time?" Reid asked.

Brewer looked at him, finding the question maybe a little out of place compared to what he had been asked so far.

"She seemed fine. We talked a bit on the way there. She did her job at the interview. She was a bit quieter on the ride back, but I'm sure it was because she was tired. That, and she kept playing with her phone. Not that I take offense to it at all, I'm just saying she mostly kept to herself and we didn't say a whole lot on the way back."

"Deputy Brewer, I'm going to ask you to close your eyes." Morgan cut back in.

"Why?" The man asked hesitantly.

"I'm going to give you a cognitive interview. I'm going to try to help you visualize what happens next, to help you maybe remember some details you have otherwise forgotten." Morgan explained.

Brewer nodded his head slowly and after a brief pause he closed his eyes.

"Ok, you're in the SUV with Agent Jareau. What's happening around you, what's the environment like?"

"It's dark out, very dark. If you look out the side windows you really can't see anything." Brewer began.

Spencer felt a slight chill, recalling his own nightmare from the previous night.

"It's warm inside our car, the heat is on low. I can't feel the outside yet, but I know how cool it can turn at night."

"Can you hear anything?"

"There's some soft country music in the background. I turned it on to try to relax us both. I'm driving pretty fast so I'm trying to stay focused on the road, careful that nothing jumps out into the road. I can hear Agent Jareau, she's typing something into her phone."

Spencer felt a bought of light-headedness hit him. This was almost too real. Immediately he flashed back to the police station, when he had missed her texts.

"What happens next?" Morgan asked.

"I feel her looking over at me. I ignore it, staying focused on the road. A few minutes pass, she lets out a sigh. I glance over. I ask her if everything is ok. She tells me she's just tired. I agree with her that it's been a long day, I assure her we'll be back soon."

"You're doing great, keep going." Morgan encouraged.

"Suddenly there's a loud 'pop' sound. We're both startled. She lets out a small scream while I struggle to regain control of our vehicle. It fishtails a bit, but I'm able to come to a safe stop off to the side of the road."

"What was the 'pop'?"

"It was our tire exploding, it went flat."

"Is that the only sound you heard?"

Brewer thought hard.

"I think so…it happened so fast…I'm not entirely sure, but I think so, yeah. Why?"

"Don't worry about it, just keep going." Morgan pushed, not wanting to distract the man from his current state with minor details that could impair his memory.

"Agent Jareau asks me what it is. I tell her I think it's a flat, that I'll go check it out."

"Does she go with you?" Spencer spoke up, clearing the lump from his throat.

"No, she stays inside. I tell her I can handle it."

"What next, you get out of the SUV…" Morgan resumed.

"I stepped out. A rush of cool air hits me as I close the door. I have a flashlight to help me see. I can hear howling in the distance, like a coyote. I look around quickly, but I don't see any passing cars that could possibly assist us." Brewer paused to gather his breath. "I walk over, looking down at the back tire. I see that it is flat. It looks like it might've been punctured by something."

"Did you see anything that could've caused it?" Morgan asks.

"No, but I didn't really look for too long, it's cold and I want to get home; this was one of the last things I wanted to be doing."

"The tire's flat, what do you do next?"

"I open the trunk to grab the spare and the tools I need. I tell Agent Jareau it's a flat and that we should be back on the road in a few. She sounds relieved. She goes back to typing something in her phone."

"Do you notice anything around you?"

"No. I'm too focused on trying to change the tire. I slammed the trunk shut and placed the tools and the tire on the ground. I crouch down, ready to position the jack on the frame…" Brewer paused.

"What is it Deputy Brewer?" Spencer asks nervously.

"Nothing. That's the problem, it all goes dark after that." He shakes his head. He's about to open his eyes when Morgan stops him.

"Wait! Let's try again. You're crouched on the ground, jack in hand…do you hear footsteps? Can you sense the presence of someone else? Is there a shadow? Think hard, take all the time you need." Morgan pushed.

Brewer is quiet for a long time, finally his face reacts like he remembers something.

"What is it?" Spencer asks desperately.

"I had my head tilted towards the pavement, looking under the SUV for the frame. I could feel something coming, like another car. I didn't think anything of it because we're by a road. I never saw any lights. I never saw it pass us."

"Great! Anything else?" Morgan encouraged.

Brewer is quiet for another minute before he speaks.

"Yeah…I hear footsteps…like gravel crunching. I had been putting the jack into position but the sound distracted me. I turn to look…something comes down and hits me, hard. I fall to the pavement. I can feel it against my cheek, it's rough. The object strikes me again…everything's going dark…my head hurts so much, it's hard to breathe…"

"Do you see the man who hit you?" Spencer asks quickly.

"No…I turned, but he hit me before I could get a look at him. After the first blow…I can't even lift my head. He strikes me again, now I can barely move."

"Did you pass out?" Morgan asks.

"I'm in and out of consciousness. I'm having trouble focusing. I tell myself to grab my gun, but the person took it. I play dead. I can feel him hovering over me. I don't hear anything for the longest time. Then, I hear the door to the SUV open."

Spencer held his breath, his heart beating fast as Morgan leaned forward, staring at Brewer.

"I dare to crack my eye open…I have to see what's going on. I'm hoping Agent Jareau realizes something isn't right, but I remember she was distracted by her phone."

Spencer sighs, running a hand through his hair, nervous energy coursing through him.

"Suddenly, someone is crouched down in front of me…I can tell it's a man, but his back is to me…he ducked down after he heard the door open."

"What did he look like?!" Spencer asked frantically.

"Reid!" Morgan warned.

"I'm…I'm not sure…my head hurts so much, I can feel blood running down the side of my face. It's getting too hard for me to keep my eyes open…"

"How tall is he? How heavy? What's his clothes and hair like?" Morgan asked, trying to help.

"Uh…I really don't know…it's dark…"

"Come on, you can do this."

"He looks big…rugged…like he's wearing a heavy coat…not uncommon around here…like if he worked at a ranch…he's wearing boots too."

"How tall is he?" Spencer asked firmly.

"I don't know…he's crouching…I can't keep my eyes open…its going black…"

Morgan knew he was losing it, that any other information would soon be lost if there was any more to be had.

"Ok, ok. Just tell me this. What happens next?"

"I…uh…I closed my eyes but I can hear someone…Agent Jareau…step out of the SUV…I can hear her calling me…she sounds a little nervous…"

Spencer closes his eyes, images of what Brewer was describing flooding his head.

"She calls me again…her voice sounds more distant. I'm losing consciousness."

"Stay awake!" Spencer implored him.

"I can feel a rush of air…the man in front of me is gone…I hear feet moving quickly…then a gunshot, and a…scream. It's Agent Jareau."

Spencer felt his heart catch in his chest. He could just picture JJ screaming as she was tackled to the ground. What if she had been shot? He reminded himself that the only blood they recovered at the scene was Deputy Brewer's, but suddenly that didn't make him feel any better. The unsub had Brewer's gun, Brewer had just said it himself.

Brewer's eyes flickered open after a lengthy pause.

"I'm sorry guys, that's it. The next thing I remember is waking up here." He looked at the two men.

"That's ok, you did great." Morgan assured him with a smile and a light pat on the arm.

"Did I…did I give you anything you can work with?" Brewer asked hopefully.

"You confirmed a few things for us. You certainly didn't hurt things." Morgan assured him, torn with how he felt. He was glad Brewer remembered as much as he did, he was almost surprised to be honest, but deep down he was also disappointed that the man hadn't seen more. There was a long pause before Morgan patted the man's arm again.

"I think we're done here. Thank you for your time, get some rest."

"Why didn't you hear them coming?" Spencer spoke up abruptly.

"Excuse me?" Brewer asked surprised, as both he and Morgan stared at Reid.

"Your job was to help protect her if by chance something happened. Why weren't you alert enough to hear them coming?"

"I…I had my head under the car. I was trying to fix the tire so we could go home."

"You are _trained_ to be alert, especially in situations like that!"

"Hey! I did what I could. It was late and I was tired." Brewer responded, becoming defensive.

"That's your excuse?! An agent is missing because you weren't aware!"

"Reid!" Morgan shouted as he stood.

"Hey, she wasn't exactly on her game either. She was too busy on her phone to see what was happening. If she was paying attention maybe we'd both be ok right now."

"Don't you dare blame her!" Spencer roared, leaning threateningly over the man's bed.

Morgan leaned over, grabbing a firm hold of Reid's shoulders to hold him back.

"I got a fucking concussion! How do you think _I_ feel right now?! You think I wanted this to happen?! You think I don't feel bad that she's missing?!" Brewer sat up, ready to take on the thin agent headache or not.

"Reid, go outside. Walk it off man!" Morgan said, pushing him away and towards the door.

"You're job was to protect her, and _you _failed!" Spencer said, pointing at the Deputy before storming out and slamming the door.

Spencer clutched his hair. His head was racing, he could feel a stress headache forming. He forced himself to take a deep breath as he paced the hallway, eyed warily by the guard sitting by the room. Spencer's eyes never left the floor, barely aware of the tiled patterning as he considered everything Brewer had said. He took another deep breath, an attempt to slow his racing heart. Finally he looked up.

When he did, he froze. A nicely-dressed woman with long, blonde hair was being led down the hallway away from him by a nurse. A new lump formed in his throat, he felt like he couldn't breathe. The hair looked so familiar, but it couldn't be, could it? Spencer couldn't help it, he had to know. He took off in a jog down the hallway, following the women.

"JJ?!" He called, but the women continued on, ignoring him.

They rounded a corner. Spencer picked up his pace. He rounded the corner only to find an empty short hallway and another corner. He ran quickly, his heart racing all over again.

"JJ!" He called again, rounding the next corner.

Spencer was only a few feet from them. He could see the woman better now. Her nice clothes had dirt spots on them, her pants were wrinkled, her hair tangled. Before he could make it to them, the nurse opened a nearby door and led the woman in.

"Wait, please!" Spencer called as the door inched closer to shutting. He lunged for the handle, grabbing it just before the door latched shut.

"Excuse me?" He called to the nurse.

The nurse still didn't acknowledge him. She had her back to him. The blonde woman was sitting on an exam table, her head bowed, and her blonde hair shielding her face like a curtain.

Spencer walked slowly, calling out one more time in an attempt to not startle the women. When he still didn't receive an acknowledgement, he reached out, gripping the nurse's shoulder. The woman snapped around quickly.

"What do you want?!" She yelled angrily.

Spencer jumped back, letting go of the woman as he stared at her face.

'_It can't be._ _This is impossible. This can't be real._'

"Well? What do you want? I'm trying to save her life since _you _couldn't!" His mother, the nurse, spat.

"Mother…what are you…no…"

"Well? Spit it out son, she's dying!"

Spencer turned to look at the table. The blonde woman, _JJ_, now lay facing up on the table, convulsing. Her face was bruised and cut, blood pooling around her head from a wicked nose bleed. She had a terrible cut along her lower abdomen, so much blood soaking through her blouse, that he could almost see her insides if he dared to look long enough. Spencer covered his mouth, watching in horror as JJ's blue eyes rolled into the back of her head, and foam crept from the corner of her mouth.

"Do something!" He turned and implored his mother.

She glared at him, prepping the syringe she held in her hand.

"_That_ was your job Spencer." His mother looked away from him. She stepped closer to JJ, lowering the needle to the woman's arm where the sleeve had been ripped off.

"The only thing I can do now…is to put her out of her misery. Say goodbye, Spencer." His mother said as she injected JJ with the needle.

"No…"


	17. Conversations

**AN: Thank you to Daisyangel, crazyobsession101, and the Guest reviewer for the feedback to the last chapter. As I said before, I'm trying to make sure each chapter connects and has a reason/meaning, so please bear with me and be patient, thanks!**

True to his word, Tony returned a few hours later for a late lunch.

JJ could hear him coming down the hallway and stood from her seat by the window. She had held the same position since she had gone there, watching what little she could of the other members of the colony, trying to get a judge of who they were, how many there were, and what kind of habits and relationships they held.

From what little she could tell, the men were dominant to the women, which was of little surprise. If the men asked or told the women to do something, they generally obeyed, almost immediately without question. The young children were taken care of by their mothers, the slightly older ones seemed to attend a sort of school, and the teenage men helped their fathers do their work. It was almost a throwback to older, simpler times, and it made JJ wonder if this was by choice or by direction.

Had there been others like her who had been abducted? If there were then she would be easier to find, the team would eventually find a pattern. If there weren't then she was in some serious trouble, the path to her would have very few bread crumbs.

If the members of the colony lived this way, was it a group of like-minded people, possibly passed down through generations? Or, and what she found to be more likely, was this some sort of religious cult? If it was a cult, was Tony the leader? Or simply one of the higher ups? She had so many questions. Questions, she knew through her attempts at breakfast that at least for now, would not be easily answered.

JJ quietly turned the chair back to its original position, not wanting Tony to know what she had been doing, making it harder for him to read her she hoped. Also, she wasn't sure if he was anal about the positioning of his furniture, the last thing she needed was to get into trouble over something stupid like that.

JJ moved to the couch and sat back down in her original position, preparing herself for her next meal, and readying for Tony's returned presence. Her hair now dried, she struggled with her tied hands to pull the towel from her shoulders and place it on the back of the couch. She heard the door unlock and open, and just as quickly shut and lock again as he reentered the room.

"You haven't moved." Tony said, sounding a little surprised when he spotted her. JJ remained quiet, letting him guess whether or not she had truly sat there the whole time he had been gone.

He circled the couch and placed the things he had been carrying on the table in front of her. In one pile appeared to be a folder filled with papers and a newspaper buried underneath. The other pile contained a new tray of food and a pair of plates. JJ wasn't sure which pile she was more enticed by.

"I have to say I'm a little surprised you chose to remain sitting here the whole time, from what I know about you, that's very unlike you." He spoke, circling back behind the couch and gently placing his hands on each of her shoulders.

JJ hadn't been expecting the contact, her focus more on the objects in front of her, and her body instinctively tensed at his touch.

"You don't _know _me." She corrected him.

"You may be right, I don't know you yet, but I _will._"

Very easily, he rubbed her shoulders with his hands, his eyes glancing around the room for any signs of what she had been up to while he was gone. He couldn't help but to feel she had to be up to something, it was only natural.

'_Unless_ _she's trying to play a game of her own._' Tony thought, his mind intrigued.

"I see your hair has dried." He said, bringing his fingers through her light, wavy locks, enjoying how her clean hair felt.

"Just do me a favor, don't leave a wet towel on the couch, you'll ruin the fabric." He said as he tossed the towel to the floor. JJ remained staring straight, doing her best to ignore him while her eyes focused on the objects in front of her.

"I brought you a few things as you can see." Tony leant down and whispered into her ear. Lightly, he kissed JJ's cheek, moving his hands from her shoulders and taking a seat beside her on the couch. Grabbing the folder and the newspaper under it, he showed them to her.

"This is just a few files I have, nothing spectacular, but if you're bored you could keep yourself active by typing them up. I'm sure you're familiar with busy work." Tony said, looking to her eyes for confirmation. When she said nothing, he placed the folder back on the table.

"_This_ is a newspaper from two days ago. Contrary to what you may think, I would actually prefer you to be relatively caught up with everything that is happening, even if it is two days in the past. If you are interested in reading these, then I will have them brought to you on a daily basis."

JJ eyed the paper hypnotically. She knew the potential dangers of reading a paper two days old, the suspense of what could be happening _now_ so close, and yet just out of her grasp. It could be a form of torture, especially if her team didn't find her and as the days past, there was no mention of her in subsequent newspapers. At the same time, the lure of the information, of remaining even somewhat in the loop of what was happening in the world around her, was too much for JJ to pass up. She _lived _off of information after all. Tony knew it, too.

"Yes, I would like that." She nodded finally, praying she hadn't just made a big mistake.

"Good." Tony smiled, placing the paper on top of the folder on the table.

"Let's eat." He reached for the tray of food and uncovered it. On the tray were two sandwiches.

Tony grabbed each and put them onto separate plates. JJ stared at him, trying to give him a clue that her hands were still tied. When Tony didn't say anything and bit into his sandwich, JJ cleared her throat.

"Do you think you could untie me?" She asked forwardly.

Tony put his sandwich down and looked at her. After a moment, he spoke.

"Can I trust you'll be good?"

"What does that mean?"

"I mean, if I cut a deal with you can I trust you to live up to your half of the deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

"If I untie you, I expect you to enjoy this meal with me, and for us to talk like civilized people. I would also like you to type those files for me and to pick up that towel and put it back in the bathroom, if I'm to leave you here, alone, without any restraints. Can I trust you to do that?" Tony asked as he studied her eyes intently.

"That seems like a lot for something so simple." JJ countered as she eyed the cold cut sandwich placed in front of her. Her spirits soared at the idea of finally gaining some freedom, but she made sure to temper her emotions, not wanting to make Tony question the plan he had laid out.

"It's a big step. I am trusting you to be good, to do as I ask in return for this freedom."

"And if I don't?"

"I will continue to treat you as I have and if you disappoint me, I will have to punish you."

JJ thought about this for a moment, although there wasn't really much to consider. If she could finally be free of the annoying rope around her wrist, the rope that stubbornly refused to weaken no matter how hard she had tried, then she could meet his demands, if those were indeed his only demands. This could be a big step to her, a big advantage gained in her ability to free herself, she had to agree.

"I agree. I'll meet your demands." JJ nodded as she faced him.

Gently, Tony reached over and began to untie her wrists. JJ's heart soared as the rope was pulled away, feeling as though she had just earned a major win. She immediately grabbed for her sandwich and took a bite of the tasty food. Tony watched her for a moment before going back to his sandwich as well.

"So, let's talk." He said between bites.

"What do you want to talk about?" JJ replied once she had swallowed.

"You."

"What about me?" JJ asked, becoming a little more defensive even if she knew this was coming.

"Tell me a bit about yourself. Here I'll get you started. Where are you from, originally? I know you work out of Virginia, but that's not where you were born, was it?"

JJ took a deep breath, knowing she would have to tread carefully.

"I was born in Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, that's where my family is from." JJ answered, being sure to not be too detailed.

"That's nice, I've never been there but I've heard it's pretty." Tony nodded, slightly impressed that she had answered without putting up a fuss.

"It's ok, nothing special; especially if you've lived there all your life."

"I can understand that I suppose. So, do you have any siblings?"

JJ shook her head no, keeping her face even so she'd be harder to read.

"That's a shame. Life must've been at least a little boring for you. Is there any reason why your parents didn't have another kid after you?"

"I'm not sure. I think I might've been a bit of a surprise to them. My parents were fine to grow up with, but they weren't always the most child-friendly people." JJ lied, putting on her best press-ready face, praying he didn't catch her in her lie.

"That's too bad, kind of sad actually." Tony commented as he thought about this.

"Do you have any siblings?" JJ tried.

"I'm not going to answer that, at least not right now. I'm more interested about you." Tony said with a straight face, taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Isn't this a two-way road? If you're trying to make us connect, which I assume you are, don't you think it'd work better if we _both_ shared?" JJ tried to press him.

"This isn't a two-way road, Jennifer, it's _my _road and you're on it. You'll have to be satisfied with what you get from me. Perhaps, with time I will share with you some of my past and you will be allowed to have your questions, which I'm sure are many, to be answered. However, now is not the time or place for that." He answered firmly.

"That doesn't seem very fair, especially if you want me to open up to you."

"It doesn't have to be fair my dear. You just have to accept that this is how things are right now."

JJ sighed, taking another bite of her sandwich. Tony certainly wasn't making things easy for her, he was very good at keeping her at a disadvantage she had to give him that. After a long moment of silence, Tony continued.

"So tell me something else, where'd you go to school? How'd you end up in the FBI?"

"I went to the University of Pittsburgh on a soccer scholarship. I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but I enjoyed Communications classes and it just kind of stuck. I searched for a job, and the FBI came calling. It was a good job, so I took it. Gradually, I just worked my way up to where I am right now." JJ rambled a little; giving him some of her back story, but making sure she didn't give him too much and added some half-truths in for good measure.

"Interesting, so you didn't start out _wanting_ to be in the FBI?"

"No."

"Well, good for you. It certainly seems like a dangerous job, but if it's what makes you happy then I'm all for it. What do you like about your job so much?"

"I don't know."

"Sure you do, otherwise you wouldn't still be working there. You just don't want to share. Please Jennifer, share."

JJ sighed again, knowing she couldn't completely get herself out of this one.

"I like to help people. I enjoy helping good people persevere and putting bad people behind bars. I love to watch families as they are reunited. The feeling I get from the completion of a successful case is where I draw a lot of my happiness from. I've become a lot stronger because of the job I have, both personally and professionally." JJ answered, taking the last bite of her sandwich and washing it down with some water.

"I'm sure you are. That was a powerful and revealing answer, thank you." Tony smiled at her as JJ simply shrugged. "So, I bet your job requires you to work all hours, to travel all over the place?"

"It does."

"Wow, I'm sure that has to be demanding. I'm sure it must take away from other aspects of your life."

"It can." JJ confirmed, trying to read where he was headed with this.

"It probably doesn't leave a lot of time for hobbies or to build personal relationships with others."

"I manage." JJ shrugged again.

"Really? So what do you do in your spare time then?" Tony asked as he finished his own sandwich.

"I like to stay active. I exercise to stay physically fit, read to stay mentally sharp, go out with friends to remain social. I'm just like any normal person." JJ answered, pleased with her general, dealing with the media-type response. She felt confident. She knew he was trolling for personal information both for his benefit, and to make her a little uneasy. So far, she felt she was holding her own in this test of wills.

"I can believe that, you certainly seem like that type of person. You say you like to be social, do you have a boyfriend?" He asked.

JJ knew this question was coming, and she felt well prepared to answer.

"I do not." She said confidently, making sure her answer wasn't too abrupt so as to not give her lie away.

"Really? A pretty girl like you JJ? I'm surprised." Tony looked at her intensely, searching her eyes for the truth.

"Yeah, I know, everyone always thinks that. But it's like you said, my job is so demanding it makes having such an intense, time consuming relationship like that really hard to hold onto. It's one of the things I've had to learn to deal with as a result of my job."

"You do date though?"

"Oh, of course. I love to go out on weekends and meet new people. It's just my schedule is so different, so inconsistent, that I'm hard to keep up with."

"But you have faith you'll find someone eventually, maybe settle down?" Tony asked, almost sounding hopeful.

"Eventually…right now I'm more focused on my job. My personal life will be given more focus when I feel the time is right, just not now." JJ answered, exceedingly pleased with how she had answered him, about how she had kept him in the dark about Spencer. The last thing she needed was for him to use her relationship with Spencer against her, to potentially go after him, or to know that there was a man in her life that would stop at nothing to find her.

"Well, I have to say JJ, I very much enjoyed talking with you. I appreciate your openness and honesty, it was refreshing." Tony said as he stood. JJ watched him closely, making sure he didn't suddenly do something unexpected.

"The only thing I didn't believe you about during our entire conversation was that you said you never moved from this couch. I find that _very_ hard to believe."

"I didn't."

Tony gritted his teeth a little.

"I know you're lying to me Jennifer, I'm not an idiot."

JJ tensed a little, preparing herself for a possible attack.

"I'm going to let your little lie slide this time…because you were so open with me about your personal life. Don't try to lie again though, I can see right through it." He said as he picked up the plates and put them on the tray.

'_Yeah, you are real good at seeing through my lies._' JJ chuckled to herself.

"I will leave you untied as we agreed, but you better not disappoint me. This is _my_ room. If you cause trouble or decide to get a little bold I _will_ know." Tony said as he picked up the tray and the rope, and moved to the door.

"I understand." JJ answered simply, turning to watch him leave.

"Good, I'll be back in a few hours with dinner. Enjoy your afternoon." Tony said, leaving her alone once again.


	18. Stress, Isolation, Slight Progress

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole for the great review! I'm glad you find this story suspenseful and angsty, plenty more of that to come!**

Spencer picked himself up from the floor, gasping as he leaned over the exam table. Sweat dripped from his cold, clammy skin onto the table as he gripped it with such force that his knuckles turned pale. He felt like he was hyperventilating. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to slowly count to ten, taking a deep breath for every number he reached, exhaling slowly in between. His heart felt like it was going to explode. He could barely keep the vomit down. He could feel it burning at the edges of his esophagus.

When he reached ten, he slowly opened his eyes, scared to look around the room. Finally, he built up the courage to do just that. Holding his breath, he looked around.

The light was still on in the exam room, but the entire place was empty. There were no signs of anything; no signs of his mother, JJ, her blood, the syringe, nothing. Everything was wiped clean, like it hadn't existed.

'Because it didn't exist, it wasn't real.' He told himself, wiping some sweat from his brow.

Had he really imagined it all? How did he get here, in this room? His eyes thoroughly scanned the room one more time as he stood upright. He searched every inch, finding absolutely nothing.

'I'm losing my mind.' Spencer whispered to himself.

He needed to get out of here, now. If someone found him in this room they would wonder why he was there. They might find him crazy and right now, he couldn't blame them. He needed to find a private place so he could regroup himself before he ran into someone, before he ran into Morgan. Morgan, who was more than likely looking for him now, especially after he blew up at Brewer.

Quickly, Spencer ran from the room and down the short hallway. Turning the corner, he spotted a men's room and made a beeline for it. He made it through the door and in his first stroke of good luck all day, he found that it was empty.

He went to one of the sinks when he was suddenly reminded of the vomit he was holding down. His stomach lurched and he realized he couldn't tough it out any longer. He turned around and ran to the nearest stall. He had just enough time to turn, throw the lock, and turn back when he let loose what little was still in his stomach from the last twelve hours. He heaved a few times, each one violently running through his body as he leaned over the toilet. When there was nothing more for him to heave, he stood slowly and flushed the toilet.

Spencer wiped his mouth as he went back to the sink. Turning the water on, he splashed the cool water on his face, using some paper towels to dab away the water as it dripped from his chin. It was surprisingly refreshing, forcing him to try once again to calm his nerves.

Spencer raised his head, truly looking in the mirror in front of him for the first time. All and all, he thought he looked presentable, but he was still noticeably pale, his deep-set eyes looked dark and tired. He wasn't a pretty sight to look at, but in all honesty he had expected to look worse.

Shutting off the faucet, he dabbed the last remnants of the water from his face and smoothed his hair down. He was over the 'day mare' he had, but now he had to find Morgan and face him. He had to face up to losing it with Brewer. He had to make sure he could smooth things over with Morgan, to make sure he didn't tell Hotch as he knew doing so would result in him being taken off of the case. That could not happen, no matter what.

Spencer threw the paper towels into the garbage and walked back out of the bathroom. He made his way back towards Brewer's room, knowing Morgan would likely be close. He walked all the way back, but there still wasn't any sign of his team mate. He continued down the halls, until he reached the main lobby. Immediately he spotted Morgan, leaning against the main desk and looking worried. Spencer was about ten feet from his friend when the man turned and saw him.

"There you are Reid! I've been looking everywhere for you man. I told you to go clear your head and get some air, not for you to completely disappear." Morgan said as he studied the young man he had been searching for.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just needed some space to think and regroup."

"I'd say so. What the hell was that back there? You did well keeping it together for a while, and then all of a sudden you completely lost it. You were out of line man."

"I know Morgan, what do you want me to say? I'm sorry, ok?"

"I know this is hitting you harder than the rest of us, but don't you dare think for a minute I don't want to get JJ back just as badly as you do. Don't think I'm not worried about what could be happening to her right now. I'm fucking pissed that someone had the balls to do this, and if they hurt her and I get my way, I will make them pay. But you don't see me losing it do you? Do you?" Morgan said sternly, staring at Reid as he glanced at his feet.

"No." Spencer mumbled.

"It's not easy and I know I'm one to talk, but you _have_ to keep yourself in check. I got your back on this one. But if you keep fucking up I might not be able to. Don't give Hotch a reason to pull you. He doesn't want to, but there is only so much he can justify when Strauss asks for his report. You need to keep your head on, do it for JJ." Morgan implored him, watching as Reid lifted his head and met his eyes.

"I'm just worried about her. This whole thing makes me sick." Spencer admitted.

"I hear you. We will find her, I promise you."

"We don't have a lot of leads yet. Brewer helped a little, maybe, but more than anything he just confirmed most of what he knew. And, he made JJ's kidnapping that much more real, it really hit home. I should've been there."

"I told you Reid, you need to get past beating yourself up over this. There was nothing you could do. Focus on the here and now. Use that genius brain of yours to figure out what we're missing, why this happened. I have faith you can do this." Morgan said, putting a reassuring hand on Spencer's shoulder. He nodded subtlety, taking one last glance around the hospital.

"Come on, let's go." Morgan guided him. They made their way outside and to the SUV. As they sat in their car, ready to drive back to the precinct, Morgan made one last comment.

"One other thing Reid, I don't care what it takes, but you need to find a way to get some rest."

"I'm fine Morgan." Spencer replied firmly, staring straight ahead.

"Dude you are _pale_. I mean, a lot more pale than usual. You look like shit. You need to take care of yourself. You wouldn't want to scare JJ when we get her back. She might dump you." Morgan nudged him lightly. Spencer's lip curled up just the slightest bit.

"Was that almost a smile?"

Spencer didn't say anything.

"I think you were close." Morgan nudged him again.

"I'll smile when JJ's home. Can we just get back to focusing on the case, please?"

"Sure thing."

"Good, let's discuss what Brewer told us…" Spencer began as the SUV drove slowly through Guymon, back to their home base.

/

As soon as Tony left JJ stood from the couch and stretched, flexing her wrists and enjoying the freedom it brought. She walked towards the towel, picking it up and bringing it with her. She went straight for the sink and washed her hands and wrists.

The cool water hitting her chaffed wrists brought immediate relief to her burning, itchy wrists. After keeping her hands in the water for a prolonged time, she turned off the sink and dried her hands. Grabbing the wet towel, she hung it on the rack with the other towels. As she moved to leave the bathroom, her reflection in the mirror caught her attention.

Turning back, JJ took a hard look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes looked tired, but all in all she didn't look too much worse for wear, the shower having helped that. Taking in her appearance, JJ was reminded of the open button on her blouse. Moving her fingers to the button, she re-buttoned it, happy with the modesty it brought. Tony wasn't there, so she could get away with it, how was he to know? Otherwise, minus the hickey on her neck and her lips being a little puffy, she looked almost as good as before her abduction.

JJ returned to the main room, and sat back down on the couch. Picking up the newspaper, her eyes began to scan it. As soon as the paper touched her hand, JJ noticed the title, date and location of the paper. She held her breath a little when she noticed where the paper was from.

It was from New Mexico. Obviously, that meant she was more than likely _in_ New Mexico. She had crossed the state border. She was in an entirely different state than her team. If this were true, the team's ability to find her would be that much more challenged. She knew they would consider all possibilities, but their focus would more than likely stay local, at least to start, which meant their focus was in Oklahoma.

JJ immediately began to wonder how far into New Mexico she was. Was she near the Oklahoman border? Texas? She couldn't be too deep into the state, logic told her that although she had been unconscious, it hadn't taken more than three or four hours for her to arrive where she found herself now. At least, she hoped she were right. Either way, the longer the distance she had traveled, the harder it was going to be for her team to find her.

JJ tried to bury these thoughts, to remain positive and focus on learning all she could about her location from this paper. Her team _would _find her.

JJ spent the next hour or so reading the paper. She read every section that she thought would have some value to her. She read all the local news, the national news, and even a few international articles. She froze when she reached an article mentioning a potential serial killer was on the loose killing kids in Oklahoma and how the FBI had just been called in to help.

She tried to stop it, but she couldn't. All of the memories that had happened in the two days since came flooding back. She thought hard about what had happened two days ago, when they were first called in. How happy she was, personally, and how something like this potentially happening to her was one of the furthest things from her mind. How wrong she had been, how things had changed so much in those two days.

JJ sniffled, tears welling up in her eyes. She had been trying so hard to be strong, to not show too much emotion, especially in front of Tony, but reading this triggered something in her that she couldn't stop. She began to cry, letting all of her pent up emotions flow out. She allowed herself to face her emotions head on; the overwhelming sense of fear, the sadness and anger over what had happened, the uncertainty of what was yet to come. JJ cried freely, letting it all out until her breath calmed, the tears stopped, and she felt a little better.

She could do this, she was strong. She had to continue to play his game as best she could, give into him a little, but refusing to let him achieve his ultimate goal, whatever that was. She had to be smart, she had to stay focused, and she had to keep the faith in herself and her team.

JJ set down the paper on the table, leaving the rest of the article unfinished. She sat forward and grabbed the folder containing the documents Tony wanted her to type. She scanned them, searching for anything of value. They appeared to be a list of rules, almost like 'commandments'. JJ began to read through them. What she read, while all together not too surprising, still made her feel a little unsettled.

'_A man is responsible for protecting, providing, and ensuring the continuity of his family name. He has a responsibility to his family and the colony to work a full day's work, to love, teach and control his family in respect to the teachings of HIS word. He must ensure that his family understands and respects their important role in this colony. Every person has a place; every man, woman and child. _

_A woman's duty is to her husband first. She is subservient to him. As the Bible teaches us, women are not allowed to make their own decisions, lest decided by the leader otherwise, less they fall down the same evil path of temptation that plagued EVE. Women must be held accountable if they dare disrespect or disobey the man in their lives. They are here to provide children, to nurture said children in the ways of the teachings, and to provide the needed assistance a man needs to fully accomplish a day's tasks; whether that is cooking, keeping the house clean, or providing a happy, stable environment that is to the man's liking. _

_Any outsiders to this colony must learn and adhere to the teachings in order to truly become a member and bask in the teachings of the Lord, the man who leads the colony by spreading His word, and through earning the acceptance of the fellow members. The process may take many days, but the rewards are endless. A simple, happy, successful life can be achieved with the proper guidance.' _

Obviously this was a test. Not only did he want her to begin to learn the process, the place he intended for her, but he also wanted to see if she would follow through on her promise to do the work. While there wasn't a whole lot for her to garner from this, much of this was what she had already suspected from watching the colony from afar.

JJ reminded herself that she didn't have anything better to do. She didn't like the idea of how some of this sounded, but she resolved to use any information she did gather from these doctrines, to use against Tony when he or anyone else tried to 'train' her.

Until then, regardless, JJ decided it would be best to remain true to her word. Rising from the couch, she walked to the computer, folder in hand. Stretching out her fingers, JJ sat at the desk and began to type, her mind deep in thought as she read on.

/

Back at the precinct, the news had finally begun to turn a bit more positive, for both cases. It was now the middle of the afternoon when the whole team met back at the precinct to regroup and hash things out from both of the cases. Taking their seats around the table, each member tried to ignore how tired the others looked from what was becoming an increasingly strenuous stay in Guymon.

"Let's begin." Hotchner began.

"Which case?" Emily questioned absently. She didn't realize her mistake until she noticed the looks being directed at her from around the table.

"Oh…sorry." She apologized awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it. Let's start with the original case." Hotchner quickly dismissed.

"Please tell me this guy slipped up." Morgan said as he leaned back in his chair.

"He did. He left more evidence. The abduction was obviously a smash and grab job. The woman apparently fought back, limiting the time the unsub had to make his move. She essentially caught him in the act." Rossi began.

"The house was ransacked, and there was a trail of blood leading out the back door. He left abruptly. We're speculating the woman, Anita Swain, made enough noise that he was concerned the neighbors would react." Hotchner continued.

"We found a paper weight with blood on it, as well as the corresponding blood spatter on one of the doorways suggesting he used the object to knock Anita out. There were no signs of harm to the child, suggesting perhaps he used drugs to sedate the child." Emily added.

"Or, the unsub sold the threat to the mother enough for the child to believe he had to come willingly if he wanted his mother alive." Morgan suggested.

"Both are logical conclusions, either could be correct. What has my attention is the paper weight. Is there any chance there were prints on it?" Spencer asked.

"We think so, that's one of our potential breaks. We don't think he was wearing gloves and he left so quickly that he didn't have time to clean up his mess. The crime scene techs are still sweeping the house, but we're pretty confident they'll find something. They'll let us know as soon as they can." Hotchner replied. "And there wasn't any drug paraphernalia lying around and no scent of chloroform on any of the child's blankets. There weren't any towels lying around haphazardly. It appears the child came willingly or was simply restrained using rope or duct tape."

"Did you find anything else?" Morgan asked.

"One of the neighbors may have spotted the getaway car. Our unsub peeled out, leaving partial tire tracks on the pavement when he left he was so frantic. The noise got the attention of a man who was out walking his dog. He gave the description of a dark, relatively new two-door sedan, like a Honda or a Toyota, but he couldn't get the license plate." Rossi spoke.

"Does the neighborhood have security cameras?" Spencer asked.

"Unfortunately not. The police are checking the nearest traffic cameras but they are about three miles from the abduction site. They've come up empty so far." Hotchner answered.

"We're almost out of time for the kid and his mother." Moses spoke.

"We still have until morning. With the evidence the unsub left behind this time, if he's in the system, we will get a hit sometime tonight or tomorrow." Rossi reminded kindly.

"And if we don't then they are both dead and we still haven't made much progress. The public will panic and ask for our heads." Moses said, pressing his hand to his forehead.

"We need to remain positive. We are closing in on this man. He is devolving. He made mistakes this time. If we don't catch him now, he will continue to unravel and make even more mistakes. At some point, he will go too far and get himself caught. Our goal right now is to catch him before that happens, but either way he will eventually be caught." Hotchner answered.

"Of that I have no doubt." Rossi added.

"What did you guys find?" Emily asked, turning sympathetically to Reid.

"I gave Brewer a cognitive interview. At first he didn't remember too much, but the more we pressed him the more he was able to remember." Morgan spoke up.

"Anything we can use to catch these guys?" Hotchner eyed Morgan.

"He never saw the second man; he was jumped from behind when he went to change the tire." Morgan replied.

"He briefly saw the man who attacked him, but only saw the attacker from behind. He was described as a large man wearing jeans, boots, and a heavy coat. He looked like a rancher." Spencer spoke up.

"Unfortunately that's more of the norm in terms of dress around here." Moses reminded. Hotchner looked up and glared at the man just a little.

"The attacker waited until JJ stepped out of the SUV and then ran around to the other side and rushed her from behind. Brewer said he did hear a gunshot before the ensuing struggle, but he wasn't sure who shot or if it hit its mark." Morgan said, leaning forward.

"The only blood found at the scene was Brewer's, so we would have to assume it didn't." Rossi said.

"I agree." Spencer nodded.

"Brewer also said he didn't notice anything suspicious on the drive to or from the Suarez house. He said it wouldn't be uncommon to be followed for long stretches given the sparse terrain, but he didn't notice anything. He also said the Suarez's seemed completely normal and nothing strange happened inside or outside of the house while they were there. I think we can eliminate them as suspects." Morgan said, looking at Reid.

"Do you agree Reid?" Rossi asked.

After a short pause, Spencer spoke.

"I do. I think we would be wasting our time at this point. There is nothing to suggest they had any involvement in this, and Brewer said they were consumed by their grief. In no way would they be in the right state of mind to complete something like this."

"We'll move on from them then." Hotchner said just as the phone in front of them rang.

"You're on speaker Garcia what is it?" Emily asked after she had leaned over to answer it.

"A couple of things. First, the evidence recovered from Anita Swain's house is still being run through the system. Besides fingerprints and possibly some blood, the techs also recovered a few strands of hair."

"Let us know as soon as you have something Garcia, I don't care what time it is." Hotchner said.

"Understood. Now, as for uh, JJ's case. The bad news is I ran a search for purchases of latex gloves in the immediate area. Surprisingly, there weren't any in the last twenty-four hours in Guymon. In surrounding communities there were about ten. I ran the names of the people who didn't pay cash, six of them, and they all came back clean."

"Not really a surprise." Spencer mumbled.

"I also ran the names of the known media members who attended the press conference and they too essentially came back clean. One or two had very minor indiscretions such as traffic violations, but certainly nothing that would preclude to abduction."

"That rules out what we already suspected. But it easily could've been someone else not identified in the crowd, or someone watching at home." Emily said.

"We need to review the tapes." Spencer said evenly, drawing nods of agreement from the others.

"The good news is this. While JJ's SUV came back clean as you know, a thorough scan revealed something interesting. On the underside of the passenger side of the SUV, the techs found some minor traces of an adhesive." Garcia continued.

"An adhesive? As in something was stuck underneath it?" Morgan asked.

"Precisely, my love. It appears that it would have been rather small, but it was attached to the frame of the vehicle. Their educated guess is it could have been a tracking device."

"A tracking device? That would explain why Brewer didn't see anyone following him, the unsubs could simply track JJ's location and would be more than ready to ambush with the forewarning it would provide." Emily said.

"But why not simply tap into the SUV's GPS?" Rossi asked.

"Maybe they didn't have enough access. Or they weren't technologically sound to use a computer to tap into it." Spencer pondered.

"Still, the SUV was essentially here at the precinct the whole time. That is pretty gutsy if they pulled that off here, with all the police around and the potential to be seen." Rossi replied.

"What if they did it somewhere else?" Hotchner asked.

"The only other places they could do it would be at the hotel or at the Suarez house. As far as we know JJ and Brewer didn't make any stops anywhere, not even for gas." Spencer responded.

"So if it was at the precinct, even if nobody saw them maybe we'll have it on tape." Morgan said hopefully.

"I'm going to start watching them as soon as we're done here." Spencer resolved.

"I'll help you." Morgan agreed.

"You don't think they'd be dumb enough to put a tracker on _both_ SUVs do you?" Emily posed.

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked.

"I mean, how were they to know which SUV JJ would take? Unless it was someone who worked here, or someone standing right next to us who we didn't notice, they would have no possible way of knowing."

"After planning this out like we think they did, why would they leave the chances of their success to a fifty-fifty chance?" Spencer piped up.

"Exactly." Emily nodded.

"We should check, just to be sure." Hotchner agreed.

"Garcia, can you do a search of purchases of GPS trackers in the local area?" Rossi asked.

"I am already on it." She replied.

"GPS trackers are more common than they used to be. Some parents use them to track kids. Other adults use it to track spouses. Car insurance companies are even using similar versions of them now to help reward their customers with 'driving discounts'. They aren't as much of an oddity as they used to be." Spencer stated.

"That is true my young genius, however I think the tracker they used might be a little more advanced. You still can't just buy them anywhere yet." Garcia answered.

"For JJ's sake, let's hope there's a paper trail." Emily answered.

"Let us know when you have the results Garcia."

"I will boss-man, Garcia out."

Hotchner looked to his watch.

"Tonight is going to be a long night I think. We should eat and rest in shifts through the morning. We should have something by then. Until then, we will review the tapes, review the evidence, and follow the leads on both cases. I know we're all tired, but we need to continue to push ourselves; for the latest victims, and for JJ." Hotchner finished as the group stood together.


	19. Another Night With Tony

**AN: Thank you to Daisyangel, muccia12, soumasdai, and Arwennicole for the encouraging reviews! There is some stronger content towards the end of this chapter, although I don't consider it to be quite as strong/detailed as some of the previous chapters, so just beware.**

It was late evening when Tony returned for the final time that day. The sun had set into the distance, and the outside world had grown dark. JJ calculated that it had to be at least eight o'clock; she had almost made it through her first twenty-four hours of captivity. She had watched from the window as the members of the colony gradually filed into the other buildings for the evening. She could tell that as it was getting dark the desert was becoming a lot colder quickly as she pressed her hand to the glass, allowing the coolness to absorb into her skin.

Although it was tempting, JJ thought it wise to close all the curtains except one. She left open the same curtain as she had the previous night, using it as a reminder that there was a world that existed beyond this room, _her _world. She wouldn't allow this room to be her world, no matter how hard Tony tried. Keeping the curtain open reminded her of this every time she looked to the window, no matter what happened. It would allow her to stay sane, while also giving her some idea of when her hellish night was soon to end. She couldn't wait for the sun to poke through that window again, telling her she survived the night and was alive to see another day.

JJ took her seat on the couch, waiting nervously for Tony's return. She didn't know what to expect, if tonight would be anything like the previous one had been, or if it would be worse. When she heard the lock release and the door open she sat up, straightening from her slouched position on the couch.

Tony closed the door with a sigh, telling her he was tired. JJ prayed he would decide to retire to bed for an early night, hoping it meant he would leave her alone or at least go easy on her. He walked over to her and placed another tray of food down on the table. Meeting her eyes, he leaned down and gave her a light kiss as a greeting. JJ accepted the kiss obediently, but didn't kiss him back.

Tony sighed again as he walked over to his closet. JJ watched him as he kicked his boots off and pulled off his shirt, chucking them into the closet. As he turned back towards her and walked forward, his face looked serious.

"Aren't you going to ask me how my day was?" He asked, sitting next to her.

"Uh…no, not really, should I?" JJ replied, caught a little off guard.

"You should; just like you should be setting up the table for our meal, now that your hands are free."

JJ took the hint, pulling the cover off the tray and setting the plates on the table. She didn't like the idea of being submissive to him, of taking the typical female role that seemed to be prevalent in this colony from what she had seen, but the look on his face told her she would be wise not to challenge him too much just yet.

"How was your day?" She asked quietly, noticing that this time there were two forks instead of one.

The temptation was immediately there for her to grab the fork and to attack Tony with it. It was a temptation that only grew when she actually wrapped her fingers around the fork. JJ told herself to wait, now wasn't the time to try, even if she really wanted to. He was probably more than expecting it and if she failed, it could become a grave mistake. She had to wait until he trusted her more, until he would expect it less.

"My day was busy, and tiring. Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to get you any new clothes; that will have to wait until tomorrow. I'll see if I can have those washed for you tomorrow maybe for the time being." Tony said, gesturing towards her outfit as he took a bite of his food.

'_Oh such a shame._' JJ thought at the idea of not being able to wear _his_ clothes for her yet. It was just another part of her identity that he couldn't try to take from her yet.

"That's ok. What made your day so busy?" She asked, seeing a potential opening for her to gather some information finally.

"Oh you know, the usual when you're in a position of responsibility. Some boring financials, some required meetings, dealing with people you don't want to or who are simply incompetent. You know, just a whole bunch of duties that will wear on you after a while." Tony answered, giving a very generalized, un-detailed response.

"I understand, I've had many of those days dealing with the media." JJ replied in an attempt to show empathy while also trying to humanize herself better in his eyes.

"I'm sure you have." He responded shortly.

"So you…you help run things around here? Help to keep everything running smoothly?" JJ tried again to make the conversation less one-sided.

"You could say that, although I'm sure you already knew or suspected that, I know you're a smart girl." Tony said, eyeing her from the corner of his eye.

"I have my own guesses, but that doesn't mean I'm right, unless you'd like to clarify things for me a little?" She turned her head sideways, as she continued to digest what was actually a very delicious steak dinner.

"I know you would love that Jennifer, that your curiosity is probably getting the best of you. But, you'll have to be patient, things will be revealed to you gradually in due time, as I have told you before."

JJ nodded; discouraged that she was getting very little information from her captor no matter how hard she tried. The rest of the meal was mostly silent, involving some minor small talk. JJ attempted to get him to open up to her a few more times throughout, but when she could tell his patience was wearing thin, she decided it was wise to give it a rest, at least until later.

When the meal was over, they gathered their plates and Tony called for someone to pick up their dishes. JJ was amazed when barely two minutes had passed before someone was waiting at the door for the dishes. Tony was definitely high on the totem pole if he wasn't the leader like she suspected. He seemed to have people at his beck and call, everyone responded to him quickly and respectfully. In the few instances she had witnessed, everyone else was submissive to him.

As Tony relocked the door and walked back towards her, JJ felt her heartbeat speed up a little. She didn't know what to expect now that dinner was over. She knew it was getting later, probably past nine by now, but she had no idea what he did to pass the time before bed. She wasn't sure she wanted to find out. Not that JJ wanted to go to bed with him again, but she almost wondered if it would be the lesser of two potential evils. Regardless, JJ was quickly learning to dread when the night came.

"I see you picked up the towel like I asked." Tony said as he walked over.

"I did."

"Good, how did you fair with the notes I gave you?"

"They're uh…they're all typed as we agreed." JJ paused a little. "I printed them out and put them in the folder." She explained, watching as he picked up the notebook and flipped through her work.

"It looks like you did a good job, did it take you long?"

"No, not really." She shook her head.

"Good, maybe I'll bring you some more to do tomorrow." Tony said as he put the folder back on the table. JJ didn't give him an answer either way, not that she suspected her thoughts on the issue would really matter to him.

"Did you enjoy reading the paper?"

"Yes, I like to stay informed and keep up with what's going on."

"I figured you might, I'll be sure to bring you another one tomorrow."

"I would like that." JJ admitted.

"I'm glad to hear it." Tony smiled, an awkward silence falling over the room after their forced conversation came to a quick end. His eyes fixed on her suddenly, staring at her intently as he stood in front of her across from the table. It took a lot of effort for JJ to not feel self-conscious.

'_Here we go._' She told herself regretfully.

"I am _very _pleased that you lived up to your end of the agreement. That you stuck to your word and did the things I asked JJ. I see some of what you learned last night stuck with you."

JJ nodded uneasily, not entirely liking the look in his eyes.

"Do me a favor, stand up for a moment."

"Why?" she asked, trying hard to keep her nervousness from showing.

"Because I told you to. You do as I say, remember?"

"I'm not your slave."

"You are correct, you are not. At least, I don't view you as one. However, you are also not the one who is in control here, _I am_. My house, my room, my rules. Now stand up!" Tony ordered as his eyes bore into hers. JJ remained stubbornly seated, testing him, showing him that she wouldn't always cave as easily as she had earlier throughout the day. Those instances she had something to gain that she knew of, she didn't have that right now.

"I wouldn't test my patience too much Jennifer. I told you I've already had a tiring day, the last thing I need is for you to test me with your bullshit." He said, the anger in his voice rising.

"Tell me why you want me to stand then, I don't understand." JJ said, holding her ground. Never had she thought such a small action would make such a big deal, but here it was. She was testing him and she had gone this far, she really hoped she didn't regret it.

"You've made impressive progress so far JJ, don't ruin it." Tony warned, not answering her question.

When she didn't move after another moment, he growled and rushed at her. Grabbing her by the shirt he lifted JJ roughly to her feet. Tony could feel the anger coursing through his veins, the temptation to reach back and slap her was great. When he looked into her eyes he could see determination hiding the slight bit of fear that was underneath them. She was tough, just as he liked her, he'd give her that. He reminded himself that this wasn't going to be easy, that there would be moments like this. For every bit of progress she made, there would be hiccups, moments where she became fiery and stubborn, that he would still have to work her through.

Tony held JJ close as his fingers dug into her shirt. Her gorgeous face was just inches from his; her body tantalizing close to him. Oh, the things he could do to that body, _would_ do to that body to punish her.

Unfortunately, some of those things would have to wait at least one more night. He wanted her so badly, but he reminded himself part of this was about his own self-control. The bylaws stated he had to wait two full days since she was an outsider, it had barely been one. His control was certainly being tested, especially with his beautiful prize so close to him, that was for sure. Looking down, his eyes became darker at what he saw. Tony's eyes traveled back up to meet JJ's and he could see the uncertainty they held.

"You re-buttoned that button I told you to leave open, didn't you JJ?" He glared at her.

'_Shit._' JJ cursed at herself, having forgotten to unbutton it before he returned. Such a minor detail she had forgotten. Hell it wasn't something she was used to, of course she would forget.

"I did." She confirmed quietly, her body tensing for whatever punishment she was sure she was about to receive.

Trailing his fingers back to the button he re-opened it. His index finger and thumb held the button, pinching it. In a quick yank with his strong fingers, he ripped it from her blouse. JJ bit her lip nervously. Tony held it in his hand for a split second before reaching back and throwing it across the room, satisfied as he heard it skip across the floor and disappear.

"Now that shouldn't be a problem for you anymore. Hopefully you'll listen better next time." He scolded her. JJ kept quiet, her teeth still sinking into her lip so she wouldn't get herself into more trouble.

"You know, it's still early." His eye held a gleam. "I have to say it is kind of boring since I can't have the TV or internet with you here right now, it kind of limits my entertainment options."

JJ eyed him, trying to read his mind. Her stomach was beginning to feel queasy again, she had a feeling whatever idea he had she wouldn't like.

"I think you should entertain me tonight." Tony smiled, his hand stroking her hair back. "I think I should turn some music on…and you should dance for me." He chuckled, apparently thrilled with his idea.

"I don't dance." JJ shot back, trying to distance herself from what may or may not come of this.

"I highly doubt that, Jay-Jay. And if you don't, well, tonight you're going to give me your best effort." He told her, watching her flinch as his finger lightly caressed her soft cheek.

"No. I'm not going to dance for you." She told him firmly. Tony's face dropped a little, his eyes becoming darker again.

"Are you disobeying me? Do I need to get the rope JJ?" He threatened, his fingers curling around the column of her neck.

"I'm not doing it." JJ held her ground, her voice wavering just a little. She could see the fury building in Tony's eyes. She prayed she wasn't making a big mistake, but enough was enough, she had to hold her ground, she wouldn't be broken or demeaned by this man.

"You are sadly mistaken, my dear. You _will _do it, even if it means I have to make you." He let go of her roughly, tossing her back to the couch and storming from the room.

JJ barely had time to stand and look for something to defend herself with when he returned with the familiar rope. JJ's eyes became wide as she began to panic. She wished she had a weapon to help her, she should have held onto the fork.

Tony hit the lights before he approached her, leaving JJ uncertain of where he was given he was only wearing socks on the hardwood floor. She took a step back and yelped when she tumbled over the table. Before she could recover, the lamp by the bed was on and Tony was standing above her, rope in hand.

"No!" she yelled, crawling backwards as she looked up at him.

Grabbing her ankle, Tony pulled her towards him. JJ reached for the key wrapped around his neck, her freedom, but he ducked out of her reach before she could grab it. When that didn't work, she kicked out at him with her other foot, catching his hand. She quickly scampered away, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. She watched as Tony recovered, an angry look in his eyes.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be JJ." He told her as they circled the couch.

When she reached the side of the couch closest to the door, JJ made a run for it. When she reached the door, she yanked on the locked handle while screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Somebody help me! Let me out of here!"

Tony laughed as he pressed her against the door, leaning over her as his body enveloped hers.

"Really, Jennifer? You know I have the key. You also know the only people even remotely close to you right now are my most loyal men. There is no help, you are all alone here." He told her as he pressed her harder against the door.

JJ tried her hardest to break free, to desperately keep wiggling, to make his job as hard as she could. Before long her efforts became mute. He positioned his body weight so it would disable and control her. Roughly, he retied the rope tightly around her wrists as JJ whimpered at the discomfort it caused. She had failed, and now she was going to pay.

'_Spence where are you?_' She pleaded in her head as she was spun around back to facing the room.

"_Now_ since you won't dance for me, we will dance together." Tony sneered into her ear, his nose tickling her earlobe.

JJ closed her eyes as he led her across the room to where the stereo was located. Hitting the power button, the room was quickly filled with quiet music.

"Oh yes, this is nice." Tony breathed into her neck as he cradled her, slowly forcing their bodies to sway from side to side.

JJ kept her eyes closed, trying everything to ignore the forced intimacy. She tried to think of the time she danced with Spence, but as Tony's hands traveled down her body and his hips began to slowly grind on hers, she decided it was a memory she would rather not soil with her current predicament.

"You feel so good…Jay-Jay…" he groaned into her neck, his hips giving an extra strong jolt to her butt. JJ closed her eyes tighter, biting her lip as she felt his mouth devour her earlobe gently.

"I like this so much better." Tony said into her ear, his hand pushing the front of her blouse up as it massaged her belly. "I know you have some great moves in this tight little body of yours…I'm sure you are very _flexible_…from being so physically active." He continued to taunt.

JJ's mind drifted in and out of the moment, finding it to be the only way she could deal with her current situation. She could distantly feel his lips as they began to place wet kisses on her neck and the side of her face. She could distantly feel his body, his hands, as they began to touch her more personally, as he grew harder against her. Distantly hearing the way he said '_JJ_' softly as he did these things. JJ didn't know how much time had passed, how many songs they had danced to, until she opened her eyes again. She only remembered the exact moment when she did open her eyes; when she felt him undo the button to her pants.

"No…no, no, no!" JJ's eyes shot open and she began to struggle at the feeling of her pants loosen.

"Shh…Shh…relax Jay-Jay…" Tony soothed softly as his fingers began to tease her panty line.

"Don't touch me! Please…not again, don't do this!" She continued to wriggle frantically in his arms.

Tony tightened his hold on her, his arm firmly around her shoulders holding the rope tightly in his hand so that her arms were pinned tightly to her chest. JJ's hair whipped him in the face as she tried desperately to break free.

"What did I tell you about begging, JJ?" Tony whispered in her ear, stilling her head. With that his fingers left her panty line and found the more familiar spot between her legs. JJ's breathing came out in huffs as she closed her eyes tightly, willing herself to blackout. She couldn't believe she was enduring this all over again.

"It may take awhile, JJ, but you will learn your lesson. You will learn that you are _mine_ and that you belong to _me _now. The sooner you start behaving and obeying me, the sooner we can co-exist happily. You _will _learn. I'm willing to spend all the time in the world teaching you, you're worth it to me." He told her as his fingers became rougher, more intrusive than the night past.

When she couldn't help but to gasp, Tony groaned in pleasure and sank his teeth into the base of her neck. This continued for a while, the night becoming déjà-vu, a complete repeat of the previous one. Just when JJ began to see stars, her demise imminent, the release her body craved but her mind didn't moments away, Tony stopped.

"You will learn, JJ. As I said before you are making progress, but I have a feeling after tonight you are really starting to understand how this works." He explained, his fingers ending their assault, his lips lightly grazing her cheek. "And if you _don't_ learn, then we can continue these lessons until you do. You may be stubborn, JJ, but I have the patience and the will to outlast you." He said as he kissed her temple, his hand tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

JJ stood there, still regrouping, willing herself to not do something stupid. She was hurt, embarrassed, and angry. She hated this man. For what he was doing to her, for how he controlled her. She tried her hardest to keep her mouth shut, but in her emotional state she said out loud the one thing that was on her mind.

"Fuck you."


	20. Dark Nights & Dark Shadows

**AN: Thank you to muccia12, Cheeto-Breath, Arwennicole, jmdernier and the 2 Guest reviewers for reviewing the previous chapter!**

**A couple of quick responses. First, to muccia12, yes eventually you will see the two kidnappers again, although it will likely be down the road unless I edit it into a scene sooner.**

**To Arwennicole, thank you for your continued interest. I am glad you are enjoying this, despite the dark subject matter. In my mind as I wrote this, JJ felt very much as you described in your review. Unfortunately, or fortunately I guess depending on your view, Spencer and JJ will continue to struggle for a while. I did not go easy on them at all in this story. Hopefully there will be a satisfying pay off in the end however.**

**To jmdernier, no offense taken. I can appreciate that you gave an honest opinion, while also giving some constructive criticism on how I could write this better. A review like that is generally rare (unfortunately) so I can respect your view and certainly don't take offense. I am happy that you can see a way to continue reading despite the inaccurate depiction in your mind. I will say I agree with you to some extent, although I am basing JJ off of Season 2/3 as I **_**very briefly**_** stated in an earlier chapter so I don't see her being quite as strong or imposing. With that said, my focus was on how JJ was drugged, restrained, and the mental strain she was going through early on, and in the process I may have accidently made her weaker than intended. I can tell you that this may change as the story moves forward, as I have written nearly the entire story already. I hope you can see past this and continue to read if you so choose. My goal was to challenge myself and not to simply write another story where JJ (or another CM character) is simply beaten within an inch of their life before they are rescued. Again, thank you for the review, and I will certainly be mindful as I edit and post future chapters.**

**To everyone else, sorry about the lengthy author's note, but I did this so everyone could have an insight to my thinking and train of thought for this story. If anything, I hope it makes it easier to understand the concept behind this story a little better. Enjoy the chapter but please be aware of some dark content/potentially graphic scenes. **

_Spencer didn't know how he had gotten there, but he found himself in a damp, cool warehouse. He knew this from the large, high walls, the stacks of crates and boxes surrounding him, and the hard cement floor beneath his feet. All these things were illuminated by the dim lighting of the main room. He could hear movement, about three hundred feet to his right, but he couldn't see who it was as his view was blocked by lines of crates. _

_Un-holstering his gun Spencer slowly tip-toed across the floor, using the stacks of crates as a means for cover. As he got closer, he could distinctly make out the sound of large, heavy footsteps as they paced back and forth. Another fifty feet closer, and he still couldn't see around the stacks, but he could hear the clattering of chains, and the sound of soft breathing. Spencer took a deep breath, hoping it would help rid him of the lump that had formed in his throat. _

_Walking carefully for another twenty feet, Spencer could tell he was reaching a clearing. He was in the middle of the warehouse. If he had to act it would have to be calculated. He knew escaping to an exit quickly would prove to be difficult. _

_Why was he here in the first place? He couldn't remember. How did he get here and where was the rest of his team? None of this made any sense to him. _

_Spencer shuddered as he felt a chill run down his spine. His senses were on high alert. He felt the dread of something ominous coming. Carefully he peaked around the stack of crates he was leaning against, weapon drawn, preparing himself to come face to face with whatever was on the other side. _

_Unfortunately, he wasn't prepared enough. He clamped his free hand over his mouth hard to muffle the gasp that left it. The sight before him made him go numb, his hands shaking, making the gun in his hand rattle. Sweat began to form on his brow even though it couldn't have been more than sixty degrees in the warehouse. _

_Spencer forced himself back behind the crates. If he stayed frozen where he was for much longer, the dark figure pacing around would notice his presence. He clenched his eyes shut, leaning his head against the crates as he tried to process what he had seen. He had to act quickly; she wouldn't have much time left. _

_Taking another breath, Spencer forced himself to peak around the crates again. He had to take in everything if he were to accurately calculate his attack. If he miscalculated, JJ would certainly die, and he could as well. _

_Before him JJ hung from a rope that was wrapped around one of the support beams to the warehouse. The main rope then divided into three separate ropes; one around each of her wrists, and one loosely around her neck. She was dangling, her feet a good three feet from the ground beneath her. Her weight was completely supported by her wrists. If the black figure were to tighten the rope around her neck or cut away the ropes from her wrists, then she would hang. _

_To make things worse, the shadow-like figure was wielding a knife. It would take the figure very little time to kill her, unless Spencer shot the figure first. His hands were shaking too much for him to feel confident that he could fire an accurate shot. He wasn't going to have much choice though. The figure was staying close to JJ and there wasn't any cover within fifteen feet of where they were situated. _

'_If JJ were lucid, then maybe she could distract the figure.' Spencer's mind rationalized. _

_Looking at his girlfriend however, he found this not to be the case. Her eyes were open but they were dull and distant. She didn't react as the figure's hands crawled over her body, occasionally teasing her with the knife. It was like she couldn't feel a thing, she was numb. He had no choice, he was going to have to shoot and charge. _

_Spencer saw the figure hovering over JJ as it pushed a crate over to stand on. Stepping onto the crate, it brought the knife slowly, maliciously, down her front, tearing her clothing. Spencer had to move now. _

_Rushing from behind his crate, Spencer raised the gun and fired. _

_Nothing. Just a click. _

_Spencer felt his blood turn cold as he tried again, only to be met by another 'click'. His gun refused to work; he was out of position and too far away. While the shadow never turned to see him, Spencer could tell by the sudden tense body language the figure knew its time was up. _

_Spencer watched in horror as the figure roughly cupped JJ's face with a black hand and plunged the knife into her gut, twisting as he pushed it deeper. JJ's mouth opened wide, but at first nothing came out of it. As the figure roughly pulled the knife back out, she gasped and let out a scream that sounded more like a kettle boiling. _

"_No! You son of a bitch!" Spencer rushed to JJ's aide, but his legs felt like lead. He watched as things went from bad to worse. _

_The figure pressed against JJ, pressing his lips to her cheek as he tightened the rope around her neck and cut her first wrist loose. Spencer stumbled over a crate that appeared in the middle of his path from nowhere. His knees slammed hard against the concrete, bruising. He couldn't feel it, all he could feel was the pain he felt as he knew he was about to lose JJ forever. _

_Spencer looked up from his spot on the floor. He watched blood dribble from JJ's cheek as the kiss turned into a bite, the figure sinking its teeth into her flesh. JJ elicited one more scream and then…abrupt silence. The figure had cut her other wrist free and JJ plunged to her death, her neck snapping at an odd angle. _

"_No…!" _

"No…!" Spencer shouted as his eyes shot open. He gasped, making a feral noise, willing himself to take in oxygen.

'It was only a dream. It was only a dream. It never happened. It never happened.' He repeated the mantra in his head over and over. He tried to focus on something else; on his breathing, on his surrounding environment. He was no longer in the warehouse; he was back in his hotel room.

As his breathing slowed, Spencer looked around the dark room. He noticed that he had kicked his sheets off. They were tangled at the foot of the bed. For the first time, he noticed how damp the pillow felt beneath his head, soaked in his sweat. He stared up into the darkness, at the ceiling, as he waited for the sweat to evaporate and his heart to slow. He didn't know how long it had taken, he had forgotten to look at the clock, not that he really wanted to. It wasn't until he shivered, a cold chill suddenly running over his uncovered, goose-pimpled skin that Spencer stopped staring in his daze. Then he heard something that made his heart stop.

'_Spence?'_ The voice said quietly, intimately, from beside him on the bed.

No, it couldn't be. He was imagining things again. The only way to confirm it would be to look over, but he was too scared to do that. The sweat began all over again.

'_Spence, are you ok?'_ The feminine voice asked with concern.

'No, you're not real.' Spencer whispered, more for himself than to her.

'_Spence, that's not very nice. Stop kidding around.'_

'This isn't happening, she's not actually here.' Spencer whispered to himself again. His head was beginning to throb. He was suddenly feeling the effects of another headache.

'_If I wasn't real, could I do this?'_ She asked.

Spencer shivered as he felt a cool rush of air pass over his cheek, where he imagined her hand would be.

'_Please Spence, look at me.'_ She pleaded softly.

Spencer took a deep breath but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was too scared of what he might find.

'Please, just leave me alone, just go.' He said quietly, focusing his eyes back to the ceiling.

'_I know you don't mean that Spence.'_ She spoke quietly, her voice sounding more broken.

Spencer felt the tears begin to well up in his eyes. It took all his focus to hold them back.

'_Look at me Spence, please.'_ She pleaded.

Spencer shuddered as he felt another cool breeze ghost over his cheek. He didn't know what this all meant. Besides that perhaps he truly was losing his mind. Maybe JJ's kidnapping had sent him over the edge. He was finally following in his mother's genetic footsteps.

The voice continued to plead softly into his ear, slowly breaking his will. Spencer knew he was going to regret it, but finally he couldn't take it anymore. Slowly, he turned his head to the side the voice was on. His eyes grew wide as he saw JJ, _JJ_, lying on her side next to him. Her blue eyes looked energized as they studied his face. Her face, her body, what he could see of it, completely spotless. She looked just as she had the last time they had been in bed together a couple nights prior.

'JJ?' He said more out of shock than anything else. Her beautiful lips curled into that gorgeous smile that melted his heart.

'_I love you Spence. I will always love you, Spence.'_ Her voice said warmly.

His body began to tingle. It couldn't be her, could it? He looked at her. He could tell she was waiting for him to say something back.

'I love you too JJ, more than anything.' His own face brightened into a smile.

She responded with another smile and a contented sigh. A lock of her hair fell into her face.

Spencer moved to gently brush it away but his arm was met with a resistance he wasn't expecting. He was puzzled. He tried moving his other hand, but it brought the same result. Spencer turned his head to his wrists, finding them restrained to the bed.

'What the hell?' He tugged with all his might but his arms refused to move. He began to panic, the warm, tingly feeling noticeably gone.

'JJ, I'm stuck…if I can just…' He turned back to where she had been, only to find the bed empty.

Spencer shivered again, his skin turning cold and clammy. He could hear his heart thumping in his head as the headache grew impossibly more intense.

'JJ?' He asked into the empty room, the empty room that had begun to spin.

The room began to spin faster and faster. Vertigo began to take full effect on his body and Spencer's body lurched forward, his stomach turning upside down and inside out. He couldn't take anymore.

'Please, make it stop…' he pleaded as he clenched his eyes shut.

It felt like he was in the middle of a tornado. Just when he thought he was going to pass out, the spinning stopped as quickly as it had begun. He opened his eyes as the nausea became too much.

Turning his head to the side, Spencer gagged and threw up. When the first wave left him he leaned forward, his head towards his knees as he spit the remaining bile in his mouth onto the floor. He coughed a couple times, clearing his throat. Finally, the vertigo left him and his headache started to recede. He was able to lift his head, the tears slowly leaving his eyes so he could see clearly. It was then that he realized he was sitting up.

'How did I get here?' He asked himself as he whipped his head around. He was sitting in the middle of a dark room, the chair pointed in the direction of an empty bed.

Spencer tried to stand, but found his wrists restraining him. They were cuffed to the chair, behind his back.

'Is anybody there? Somebody help me, please!' He called into the empty room, his voice echoing off the walls. He closed his eyes.

'This has to be another dream. When will it stop?' Spencer asked, his head dipping down to his chest.

Suddenly he became aware of footsteps, two sets. He cracked his eyes open. There was now a table beside the bed and on the table was a lit lamp. Spencer watched as from the right side of the room, a large figure wearing a heavy coat entered from the shadows. His arm dragged something, someone, behind him by the hand. It was JJ.

'JJ!' Spencer yelled, but she was completely oblivious. She couldn't hear him.

The large man stopped beside the bed, in front of the lamp. He wore jeans and big, heavy boots. Beyond that, Spencer couldn't make anything else out. He watched as the man quickly spun JJ around and pulled her to him. He watched in disgust as the man gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand as she gazed up into his eyes. She looked almost comfortable. JJ lifted herself onto her tiptoes as the man leaned down, their lips meeting.

'JJ what are you doing?!' Spencer roared, furiously tugging at his wrists but not making any progress.

The kiss broke and Spencer could swear that he almost saw JJ give a shy smile. The man let go of her delicate hand as she took a large step backward. What was she doing? The man was looking at her intently. It looked like they were saying something, but he couldn't tell what.

'JJ!' Spencer tried again.

He watched JJ bite her lip as she looked up at the man towering over her. After a moment, she stepped away and moved closer to the bed. Spencer felt his heart shatter. Immediately he averted his eyes, getting a strong sense of what was about to happen. He looked behind himself, to where his wrists were restrained. He searched for structural weaknesses in his binds as he tugged, but found none.

Defeated, Spencer faced back forward. He was met with the large man hovering over JJ on the bed as he pulled the sheets over them, two piles of clothes on the floor by the bed.

'No…JJ…no…' He sobbed now, watching as JJ leaned her head back into the pillow and gasped towards the ceiling.

The bed began to shake as the two figures began to move in rhythm. Spencer bowed his head, unable to watch. The voices, the sounds he heard, torturing him as they became louder. He pulled at his wrists, trying unsuccessfully to cover his ears.

Spencer felt like he could hardly breathe. Between what he was hearing, and the mucus that now clogged his nose as a result of his crying, it was a struggle for him to simply breathe through his mouth. He took large gulps of air, barely noticing how quiet the room had turned until he heard a shrill scream. Instinctively he raised his head in search of the sound. It had come from the bed. Spencer watched as the fully clothed figure climbed out of the bed, leaving a covered JJ buried in the sheets.

"What did you do?!" Spencer roared.

He watched helplessly as the man ignored him, simply walking back into the shadows and disappearing. Against his better judgment, he couldn't help but to stare at the bed. He could make out the tangled tufts of familiar blonde hair spread out across the pillow, but everything else was hidden by the sheets and dark shadows.

'_Spencer?'_ A familiar voice suddenly questioned from behind him.

Spencer clenched his eyes shut and bowed his head again; unable to face the next part of the dream he convinced himself he was having.

'_Spencer? Why are you just sitting there? Why didn't you do something to help her?'_ His mother questioned him.

"I couldn't mother. I was chained to this chair. There was nothing I could've don…" His response was cut short by the realization that his wrists were no longer restrained. Opening his eyes he stared at his arms, expecting to see raised, angry red marks but instead finding them to be completely normal.

'_Spencer you didn't try hard enough…you're not trying hard enough.' _His mother scolded him.

"What else am I supposed to do mother?! We're working two cases at the same time! The team is split, we're working long hours on almost no sleep, our leads to try to find JJ are minimal…what am I supposed to do?!" He asked with frustration.

'_You're supposed to use your head Spencer. You're a smart man, I raised you to think. Think like the person who took her, what was their purpose?' _

"I've already done that!"

'_Look through the details, no detail is too small. Something connects Spencer; you just haven't found it yet.' _

"I'm trying mother. I just…nothing is working!"

'_You need to have faith Spencer. You can't let yourself become deterred. Something will eventually reveal itself to you and when it does, you need to be ready to act.' _Diana Reid said, pulling Spencer to his feet from the chair. They walked slowly towards the bed, hand in hand.

"Mom…please. I don't want to see this."

'_You need to have faith in yourself Spencer. You have to believe in yourself, in your abilities, so that something like…this…doesn't happen to her.' _Diana reached for the sheet and pulled it down.

Spencer didn't have time to look away without catching a glimpse of the body on the bed. He choked on more bile in his throat as he covered his mouth with his shoulder.

'_You can save her Spencer. You still have plenty of time. Don't give up on finding her. If you do, you will truly lose her forever…' _

"I have no intention of giving up mother…the thought never even crossed my mind!" He said firmly through gritted teeth.

'_No? Then why are you having these dreams Spencer? Maybe the thought isn't conscious, but to have these dreams means the thought that you will fail is in your subconscious…you know this.' _

"I…" He paused, his brain interpreting the newly revealed information.

'_It's natural to be worried, to think out scenarios, Spencer. But to let those thoughts blank out and consume all rational thought is not. If you continue to let this happen, you WILL lose her.'_

"Mother…I'm so scared for her…" He admitted.

'_There's a reason you love that girl Spencer. You need to have some faith in her too, not just yourself. Take the time to go back over everything…to review the evidence…to interview people and review the tapes…you will find something if you look hard enough…" _Diana dropped Spencer's hand and began to walk away, towards the shadows.

"Mom?" He called after her.

'_Goodbye for now Spencer…get back to work.'_ She said, looking at him with a weird glint in her eye, before disappearing into the darkness.

Spencer shot upright in his bed, leaning forward.

Before giving chance for anything else to happen, he lunged for the bathroom, flipping the light on. He twisted the faucet, hard, and splashed cold water onto his face. The cool water hitting his skin perked up his senses and told him that he was, indeed, awake this time.

Looking up, he could hardly look at himself in the mirror. He knew as bad as he had looked recently, that now he looked even worse. Leaning back from the sink, he looked back into the bedroom and glanced at the digital clock.

It was four in the morning. He had slept intermittently for about five hours since he had returned from the precinct. Five hours certainly wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't a healthy amount for his body to function properly. He knew going back to bed was out of the option. He had to get ready for the day and go back to work on the case.

The tapes from JJ's press conference hadn't revealed anything suspicious so far. There were too many people milling around, people who weren't part of the press corps, for anyone to truly stick out. The only lead, a potentially big lead, had been from the tracker.

Not only did they have a fuzzy image of a man planting the tracker, but they had also found an identical tracker on their other SUV. They pulled the serial number from the tracker and Garcia was searching the database for both the manufacturer and the seller. In the meantime, while they couldn't see the man's face, they did have an approximate size. He was smaller than the man Brewer described. He was likely the man with the size eight shoes.

Now, when he got back to the precinct, Spencer would go through the tapes for a second time to see if the same man was in the background and he had simply missed him. The problem was, size eight, while a little small for a man, was still a relatively average size, meaning the man himself would be relatively average. Regardless, Spencer had sent the image of the man planting the tracker to Garcia, who was more than willing to work overtime in trying to find JJ, so that she could possibly enhance the image, or maybe even pinpoint the man in the other videos based on running his measurements through her identification-scanner.

Spencer sighed knowing today would be just as trying as the last few. Pulling off his sweat-soaked clothes he stepped into the shower. His thoughts tried to drift to JJ, to where she was, to what she could possibly be going through at this moment, but he reminded himself of what his mother had told him in his dream.

Sure, it was only a dream, but every dream began with a thought that had some ounce of truth or worry behind it. He had to do as she had told him; focus on the case, focus on the details, and be productive. Stepping out of the shower and grabbing for a towel, he vowed that he would do just that.

/

"What did you say to me?" Tony growled as he jerked the rope JJ was still tethered to like a leash.

"I said…fuck you." JJ replied unwavering.

He chuckled, letting JJ stand there for a moment and wonder how he would make her pay for what she had just said. Finally he leant in, pressing his lips to the edge of her ear, his breath tunneling through her ear and into her brain as he spoke.

"Someday, someday real soon, you will. And when you do…it's going to be absolutely…_incredible._" He said softly, almost seductively.

JJ felt a new wave of anger rush through her. Determined not to simply be easy prey for this man, she lifted her bare foot from the cool hardwood floor, and brought it down as hard as she could on top of Tony's foot. The bottom of her foot made hard contact with the top of his solid foot, briefly crushing it into the unforgiving floor. Tony let out a loud yelp of pain in JJ's ear, briefly giving her the sense that she was going to go deaf.

Knowing she had an opening, JJ jerked her elbow back hard, the rough rope biting, tearing, at her already raw skin, as she landed a shot to his ribcage. Tony gasped in pain, falling back a little and immediately giving JJ a little more room to maneuver as the air rushed from his lungs.

While he hunched over a little, struggling to breathe, JJ turned and kicked her leg up as best she could. Her foot stung as it caught Tony bluntly in the shoulder. She had been aiming for his head, but she was still satisfied that she had landed her kick, as much as her foot was now beginning to throb.

Tony struggled to stay upright as JJ took another step back, preparing for another kick. He had been expecting her to make a move, to truly fight him, at some point. Now that it was happening, while not entirely prepared, Tony still felt a rush of satisfaction and excitement run through him.

As JJ landed another kick, this one to his rock solid chest, Tony reminded himself that he simply had to hold on to the rope. If he accidently let go, then she may get too much of an upper hand. If he held onto it through her onslaught, as he had so far managed to do, then he could let her think she was winning and then, right as her confidence reached its peak, he could take it all away from her. Doing so would do a number on her fighting spirit, Tony had no doubt.

JJ landed another kick, this one to his arm, but the kick wasn't as powerful. Her unbuckled pants were slipping, now down near her thighs, limiting her mobility as well as her ability to put a sufficient amount of power behind her kicks. Realizing this, JJ gave a hard yank to the rope, trying her damndest to break free from Tony's tight grip. When that wasn't successful, JJ gathered herself and stumbled forward, knowing she had very little time until Tony recovered.

As her pants slipped down towards her knees, she lunged forward, balling her hands into tight little fists. Bringing her linked wrists down with as much force as she could muster, she landed a combined blow to the top of Tony's head. The strong man grunted in response, but didn't fall as JJ had hoped he might.

Lifting her fists up again, she moved to strike another blow, determined to keep hitting him for as long as it took for her to knock him out cold. Tony was quick however, expecting her, baiting her, to leave herself vulnerable. He dodged his head to the side, causing JJ's fists to barely land a glancing blow to his nose. The hit was just enough to stun him a little, causing him to take another retreating step backward.

JJ froze for a moment, watching as Tony pressed his free hand just below his nose, in search of the slow, warm trickle he felt. Pulling his hand away, he looked down and spotted a small amount of blood. Realizing her fists weren't going to have the desired effect, and seeing a chance to pull herself together as Tony paused, JJ reached down and desperately tried to pull her pants back up. If she could put them back on as they should be, then she could resume kicking him and more effectively finish him off.

Looking up to gauge the state Tony was in, her fingers desperately clawing at the fabric of her pants, she saw the black look in his eyes. He was seething. Tony wasn't sure what it was, but the site of his hand caused rage to boil up inside of him. He had enough. He had allowed the blonde to have her fun, now it was his turn.

With a loud growl, Tony gripped the rope with both hands and tugged hard. JJ gasped, finding herself in an unbalanced position when Tony made his move. She tried to keep herself upright, but the sheer force of the pull sent her careening forward uncontrollably. She crashed painfully, front first, onto the hardwood floor.

By mere luck of having quick reflexes, JJ was able to brace herself with her arms; her wrists absorbing most of the incredible force of hitting the hard floor, so that she wouldn't have otherwise hit it face first, potentially knocking out her teeth. She groaned as she tried to pick herself up quickly, her wrists throbbing, feeling fat like they were sprained, though JJ knew they were likely only jammed a little.

Seeing her down on the ground like this, Tony knew he had quickly turned the tables in his favor. Wasting little time he reached down, burying his hand in her hair, and pulled up sharply.

"Ah!" JJ yelped as she was picked up off the floor by her hair.

Without even taking the moment to look at her, Tony pulled her a few inches towards him and then flung her hard across the room in the direction of the bed. JJ made it halfway to her destination before her dress pants slipped further, causing her knees to knock together. Falling, her body hit the edge of the bed.

When her stomach made contact with the edge it was like she was shot out of a cannon. Abruptly, unable to catch herself, she bounced backwards and fell back to the floor.

Her butt hit the floor first, painfully, followed by her back and then, unfortunately, her head. The violence of hitting the bed, then switching direction and crashing to the floor was so great that JJ's neck had little time to protect her head from hitting the floor. As soon as the back of her head hit the floor with a 'thud' JJ's vision became blurry and all energy left her.

Staring in a daze at the ceiling, a few seconds passed before Tony came into her view, leaning over her. His eyes appraising her as another thin line of blood trickled from his nose, he chuckled.

"Now don't you just look pathetic laying there like that…Jennifer Jareau."

JJ groaned in response, turning her head to the side as it continued to throb.

"That was a fun little display you put on there, although it appears you have lost." Tony continued to taunt, his fingers finding her hair once more.

"You…you…"

"Yes, my dear? You'll have to speak louder!" He told her, lifting her head painfully off the floor by her hair once more. He brought her face close to his, their lips impossibly close until all she could breathe was him.

"You're…a sick…son of a bitch…" JJ replied.

In her head the words were said with conviction, but as she vocalized them and the sound hit her ears, they sounded weak and pitiful. A new smile formed on Tony's lips in response.

"You have no idea, Jennifer." He said, pushing her hair out of her face. "I have to say though, as much as I enjoyed that, I wasn't all too pleased that you made me bleed." He told her more darkly.

"Poor…baby…" JJ taunted back, not losing her fighting spirit even as she was trying to shake off the effects of a potentially minor concussion.

Tony's reaction wasn't one that JJ was expecting. Instead of growing even more furious, a weird gleam hit his eye.

"You know, after the fit you just threw, I would say _you're _the baby. What you did back there was pretty juvenile."

"Hardly." JJ spat back.

"Oh but it was. And well, you see, if you want to act juvenile, then maybe your punishment should be juvenile as well."

Before she could process his words, JJ found herself whipped back towards the bed. She let out a pained cry as her head hit the top of the mattress and ricocheted back up, making her feel nauseous. When she had recovered through the pain enough to regain some of her senses, JJ found herself to be mostly on the bed face down, with her legs dangling off the side, and the tips of her toes barely touching the floor.

Tony used his forearm as an arm bar to the middle of her back, pressing his weight down to keep her in place. His free hand made quick work of roughly tugging JJ's pants down around her ankles. When he was satisfied, Tony looked his prey over, licking his lips as he pushed her blouse up from her lower back.

"Do you know what we do to juveniles when they misbehave Jennifer?" He leaned down and whispered into her ear.

JJ moved to jerk her head in an attempt to head butt him, but the sudden movement caused a new flash of pain to rush through her skull. Surrendering to the pain, she laid her head gently back down on the bed, finding little comfort.

"I asked you a question!" Tony growled, tugging at her hair.

JJ fought back the tears at the edges of her eyes as she whimpered again. When she found her voice, she responded firmly.

"I don't know, but I'm sure your daddy showed you didn't he?"

Irate, Tony wasted little time in making her pay for her snide comment. Reaching back with an open hand, he brought his palm down hard onto JJ's bottom. JJ bit her lip to keep from giving him any satisfaction at the pain he caused her as he brought his hand down on her again and again. Her body jolted forward, her butt stinging painfully until finally it became numb, with each new slap that landed.

"That's right _Jay-Jay_…if you want to make snide remarks and act like a little bitch…especially with all the privileges I allowed you today…then I have no problem doing this until your cute little bottom is good…and…red!" Tony snarled, hitting her harder with each final word.

When Tony finally finished and let go of her, JJ could still feel the blows landing on her tender flesh. She quickly brought her arm up to her face as she felt Tony pull her body from the bed, doing her best to discretely wipe away any potential tear tracks that may have shown on her face. Looking deep into her pained eyes, Tony spoke.

"Have you learned your lesson now Jennifer? Are you ready to be a _good girl_ tonight?"

A defiant look crossed JJ's eyes, and Tony suddenly felt intrigued by what her impending response would be.

"You're nothing but a pathetic…twisted…sick bastard. No. I will never behave for you." JJ replied forcefully, punctuating her statement with a hard knee to the man's ribcage.

Tony coughed, one of his hands clutching his ribs. JJ moved to knee him again, but his hand was quicker, his fingers painfully biting into her thigh to stop her. She eyed him as his fingers slowly moved higher up her thigh suggestively.

"I think it's time we washed out that dirty little mouth of yours, Agent Jareau." Tony said darkly, quickly moving his hand from her thigh to her shirt collar, and dragging her towards the bathroom.

JJ struggled the entire way, but as Tony dropped her unceremoniously on the bathroom floor and locked the door, she realized that she truly was going to be in for a long, dark night.


	21. The Mistake

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole and cm-fan for reviewing the last chapter!**

Spencer was sitting alone in a room off to the side, continuing to go over videos. He had a still picture of the unsub who had planted the tracker pinned to the wall next to the TV. It had been tedious work and had taken multiple cups of coffee for him to wake up and hold his focus. He was watching the day's tapes of the hour before, during, and after JJ's press conference for the third time.

Everything appeared to be frustratingly normal and he was beginning to think the unsub had simply watched the press conference from another location. It wasn't until he turned away and looked back that he froze. Immediately, Spencer reached for the remote and paused the frame on the TV.

Having passed the point he had just seen, he slowly rewound it back and played it again. He watched as about half an hour before JJ's press conference, two men left the precinct and walked across the street, out of site. This was exceedingly normal, sure, except for the fact that one of the men had the exact same, rustic brown jacket as the man who had planted the device. While this was certainly a common jacket, Spencer also noted he had the same short-cropped dark hair, and his stature was about five foot-eight, his booted feet looking as though they could be a size eight.

Unfortunately, Spencer couldn't make out the faces of either man as they both were looking down as they waded through the crowd. He knew he was really stretching, that this could easily be some innocent man who had been completely unassociated with JJ's disappearance. But after watching the tape three times, he was willing to pursue anything.

Turning and reaching across the table, he looked into the reference book to find that there was a library across the street from the precinct. Searching through the stack of tapes on the table, he spotted the tape Morgan had recovered from outside of the library.

Spencer moved to the VCR and ejected the tape, quickly replacing it with the new tape. After some fast forwarding, he found the time stamp he was looking for. He played the tape, watching as the men crossed the street, walked up the steps, and entered the library together. The faces on the tape were blurry, and both men were still looking down, but he had a better view of both.

Pausing the frame and looking back to the picture on the wall, Spencer was even more certain that one of the men was indeed one of the unsubs. He pressed 'play' to allow the tape to continue to play, taking a mental note of the time on the video. He waited patiently for five minutes as nothing happened. He noticed the press conference being set up in the background.

A few moments later, Spencer paused the tape again. At the bottom of the screen, barely in the frame, was the top of someone's head. They looked like they were pacing. Spencer willed the frame to shift lower so he could see the pacing man, but it never happened. The man disappeared from the bottom of the frame as Spencer carefully sped the tape forward.

As he watched JJ step out of the precinct to give the press conference in the distance, he slowed the tape back down to its normal speed. Seconds passed, when suddenly the two men reentered the frame. They stood, talking off to the side for a moment, their backs to the camera. A few more seconds passed, and they both stepped forward, taking a seat on the library steps.

Spencer watched intently as both men appeared to view the press conference from across the street. As he studied their body language, the new man, the one on the left, appeared to be the dominant personality, while the man on the right, the familiar looking one, appeared to be the submissive. The man on the left seemed to talk while the man on the right either simply nodded, or even at one point, flinched a little.

The press conference ended and Spencer could see everyone dispersing. The two men remained seated on the steps for a while longer. Finally, the one on the right stood and walked back across the street, back towards the precinct.

Spencer stopped the tape, exchanging the tapes once again. He popped the one belonging to the precinct back in, watching as the man walked back to the precinct. When he reached the doors, he visibly hesitated, standing outside in the remaining crowd for a few moments, looking awkward and uncomfortable. More time passed, before finally the man opened the door and entered the precinct.

The alarms went off in Spencer's head. There definitely seemed to be something off with this guy. He knew he was desperate to jump to conclusions, that he had to resist, but even his logical mind told him the man's actions weren't entirely normal.

Spencer turned back to the table, searching through the stack of tapes for the tape to the inner lobby of the precinct. He fast forwarded to the time stamp he had left the previous tape at, and watched as the man entered the lobby and milled around, trying his damndest to look busy and preoccupied with the different community boards on the wall. When that became too obvious, he moved to a bench and sat down, grabbing a newspaper. Not once did he try to converse with anyone. Not once would he make eye contact with any of the officers as they walked past. The man was trying his damndest to hover, but to also blend in. If he was who Spencer thought he was, he hadn't done a great job, but he had done it well enough to accomplish his goal.

Spencer pushed the tape forward, watching as the man lingered for hours, alternating between inside and outside the precinct. Occasionally he would venture deeper into the precinct, to use the bathroom or to grab a drink. He didn't appear to have any business there, or to be waiting for anyone. He was just _there._ Spencer made note of different times he would need to have the frames frozen so that pictures could be taken of this man so they could try to ID him.

When Spencer was done, he decided to rewind the tape of the lobby precinct, to go back and see why the two men were there in the first place. He was just about to reach the spot he was looking for, when Morgan burst into the room.

"Reid, we need you out here now." He said seriously.

Spencer felt his heart drop a little.

"What is it Morgan?" He asked, fearful that it could be something bad concerning JJ.

"We have our match for the unsub, the man who's been abducting and killing children. Garcia tracked down his name and home address. Hotch needs you out here for the briefing on the raid."

"Morgan, I can't go. I have to stay here and continue to try to find JJ. I think I may have found something."

Morgan visibly hesitated, his eyes becoming slightly wider at the mention of a possible lead for JJ's case. A moment later however, the man had regrouped.

"Garcia has some information too. She tracked down the store where the trackers were bought. It was bought at a specialty store in Boise City, Oklahoma about an hour from here. The purchaser paid for them in cash. However, considering the type of store it is, there were security cameras. Hotch had Moses send an officer to go retrieve them, they should be here in a while."

Spencer felt his heart lift a little at the potentially good news.

'Am I actually starting to make some progress finally?' He asked himself. All it took was for his head to re-remind him of the work ahead and of some of the odds for him to taper down his excitement.

"That's great. I think I might've found the man who planted the tracker hanging around the station the day before. The video isn't great but it could definitely be him. I'm still going through the different tapes for a third time, but it's starting to add up, I don't know how we missed it before."

"Reid! That's great my man. Hopefully we can get back to it in a few once we catch this other guy. The other tapes from that store should be here by then too."

"Morgan, I'm not going." Spencer looked at the man incredulously.

"Listen, Hotch needs you with us. It shouldn't take more than an hour or two tops. He wants to get JJ back just as much as you do, but you have to realize the pressure he's under to solve this other case too."

"She might not have that kind of time Morgan. It's been a day and a half."

"Reid, Hotch is doing all he can to help you, trust me. He had to pull some strings just to get that officer sent to Boise City. He's been working double time to hold off the media in JJ's absence. He might not seem like he's on her case like you are, but that's only because he's trying to filter out the outside distractions for you. He's had to take on a lot of added responsibility and stress. He needs you on this, just for an hour or two."

"What about the rest of the team?" Spencer questioned, refusing to just give in so easily.

Morgan sighed, a little frustrated.

"They're going too. Hotch is about to explain everything, let's go."

Spencer hesitated, glancing back at the paused TV screen. He didn't want to leave this, especially after he might finally be onto something. He felt like he would be letting JJ down if he did. At the same time, he realized that if they did indeed put an end to the first case, then it would mean all hands on deck in trying to find JJ. Extra minds and extra man power would certainly speed up the process.

Spencer took a deep breath thinking out his options and the odds in his head. With a deep breath he grabbed the controller and turned off the TV, following Morgan from the room. He had made his decision. He hoped he wouldn't regret it.

/

As soon as Morgan entered the room with Reid, Hotchner began.

"We have two potential locations for Mr. Gordon. The first is at his home address. The second is an old friend's second house. We believe we will find him at his house, but we want to make sure we have everything covered. We don't want to give him an out."

"We need to be alert, swift, and ready. He will not hesitate to kill the mother or her son." Rossi continued.

"We know he is scheduled to kill them this morning, if he hasn't already. This gives us a very small window of time to try and box him in before he leaves to dump the bodies and find a new target." Emily added.

"The majority of us will go to Gordon's house. Morgan and Reid, you will take a few men and go to the friend's house. We should be in time if we hurry, but we do need to prepare for what we might find. Do not hesitate to kill this man if necessary, he is likely to be very volatile. Good luck." Hotchner finished.

Spencer looked at Morgan, almost questioningly. As if to read his mind, Morgan spoke.

"Reid, I promise you this is not a waste of our time. Hotch gave us the secondary location because he believes it is safer. The profile says Gordon will be at his house. As soon as we clear the friend's house, we can come back and you can get back down to it."

Spencer nodded silently, reaching to grab a vest as he watched the other members in the room do the same.

"Let's get this over with, quickly." He muttered as he followed Morgan.

The drive to the friend's house was quick, maybe twenty minutes. Stepping out, both agents quickly realized things wouldn't be as quick as they had hoped. The house was small, but old styled with doors to an underground basement on the left side of the house. In the dusty backyard, a barn was visible. These were a couple of the places on the property that could prove challenging to clear.

"We stick together." Morgan turned to Reid as they approached the front door.

"You guys clear the basement and cover the back." Morgan directed the other officers.

When they reached the door, Morgan took a quick step back and kicked it down. They both moved quickly through the warm, dank, mostly empty house, clearing every room. Glancing at each other, the two agents were about to holster their weapons when they heard a gunshot from out back. Quickly, Morgan ran for the door as Spencer followed a few steps behind. They reached the other side of the house just in time to catch a glimpse of the barn doors shutting. A groan coming from the ground drew their attention down. The officer who had been sent to cover the back had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest.

"Shit." Morgan cursed as the other trooper who had accompanied them ran over after he had cleared the basement.

"Put pressure on his chest and call it in. We'll go after Gordon." Morgan told the man.

The trooper pressed his hand to the man's chest while using the other to call for back up. Spencer and Morgan quickly ran through the dusty backyard and up to the barn, guns drawn.

"I think someone should cover the back." Spencer suggested. Morgan shook him off.

"No, we stick together on this. You ready?"

Spencer nodded and with a quick kick, Morgan busted the doors open with a loud thud. As they slowly entered the darkened barn, they could hear crying and whimpering.

"Shut up!" Their unsub could be heard cursing frantically.

"Please, don't hurt my son, take me instead!" The woman pleaded. She was still out of their sight-line as they continued to approach cautiously, clearing every wooden stall and stable as they went. As they reached the far end of the barn, they realized they had the man cornered.

"Steven Gordon! FBI! Drop the gun and let them go!" Morgan ordered as they approached the darkened corner.

Spencer could feel his heart rate pick up. He couldn't see the man, just a darkened shadow. The woman continued to sob, her wails echoing through the barn, ringing in Spencer's ears. He felt a headache beginning to form as the woman's cries echoed louder in his ears. Realizing the mother would give him more protection than a small child, Gordon threw the kid to the ground and grabbed Anita Swain in one fell swoop.

"No!" Morgan shouted. The woman gasped as Gordon clenched a hand around her neck as he continued to wave the gun around.

"Kid, get back!" Morgan told the young boy who lay on the hay-covered ground, stunned and in tears.

"No! He stays right here and watches!" Gordon snapped.

"Ok, ok, be easy." Morgan raised a hand in an attempt to calm the man.

Spencer watched the scene unfolding in front of him, almost unflinching. The familiar throbbing in his head had returned. His vision became blurry as he struggled to focus. He blinked once, twice, holding his eyes shut for an extra second. When he reopened them, he felt dazed and confused. Before him was the dark figure, he still couldn't make out what Steven Gordon looked like. The woman in his arms, struggling with a gun pressed to her temple wasn't Anita Swain anymore, it was JJ.

"JJ!" Spencer gasped quietly under his breath.

"What?" Morgan looked at Reid confused, not entirely sure if he had heard the man say what he thought he had. This distraction allowed Gordon to drag Anita away from the corner and more towards the side wall where he thought he could perhaps ease his way towards an exit. When Morgan turned from Reid back to the unsub, he noticed this.

"Hey! I said don't move!" He shouted nervously, happy that at least they were now farther away from the young boy.

"You won't shoot me! Certainly not with this bitch's son watching!" Gordon taunted, jamming the gun against the side of the woman's face.

Spencer shook his head, trying to clear the images, telling himself to be logical. He knew the woman wasn't JJ. Her case was completely unrelated to this. And yet, every time he saw the woman, all he saw was JJ. Regardless that JJ didn't have any kids, wouldn't wear those style clothes, or even would be able to protect herself better from a man like this. None of it mattered, his brain continued to insist that this was JJ in front of him.

"We are leaving! And if you try to stop me I will kill this woman right in front of her son!" Gordon spat, inching further towards the side wall.

"You know I can't let you do that Gordon. You killed children. You abducted this woman and her son. You shot a police officer. It's over. You need to let them both go." Morgan tried as he took a step forward.

"Don't tell me what to do! I'm in control here! If you don't drop your guns right now I will kill her!" Gordon screamed, causing the woman to sob and the young boy on the ground to whimper.

"We have you out numbered Gordon, you won't get anywhere by doing this." Morgan stated more confidently than he felt.

The longer this lasted, the worse he knew things could get. It was very apparent that this man had every intention of going down with a fight if he didn't get his way; there was no talking him down. Gordon pushed the gun into the woman's head again, causing her to cry out louder. This time, he cocked back the hammer.

Morgan's grip tightened on his own gun as he began to wonder why Reid was being so quiet, why he wasn't at least attempting to help out-flank the unsub so that they could re-corner him. Then, Morgan's blood turned cold. He heard the thud of something drop beside him just before a grin plastered itself to Gordon's face.

Morgan looked out of the corner of his eye, not wanting to make the mistake of looking away like last time so Gordon could pick up more ground. His mouth dropped open a little when he realized Reid had dropped his gun and now held his palms up unthreateningly.

"Reid?!" Morgan erupted in shock.

Under some circumstances it would've been wise to do as the unsub said and drop the gun, but not here. It was obvious this unsub wasn't stable, that he had no intention of letting the woman go if they dropped their weapons. This man was very dangerous, they needed their guns as protection against him, and Reid had just dropped his protection.

Morgan knew not only had Reid potentially made a grave miscalculation on the safety of his own life, but now he had done the same for everyone else in the room, while putting all of the pressure and responsibility on Morgan to handle the situation. He could hear the sirens approaching from the distance, but by the time they arrived, Morgan knew that one way or another, the impasse they had reached would be over.

"Just let her go. She has done nothing wrong to you. Please, I'm asking you nicely." Spencer said as he took a couple steps forward.

"Don't come any closer!" Gordon warned, turning his gun towards the agents.

"Reid! Damn it what are you doing?!" Morgan took aim, praying for an opening.

"I just want her back, please. If you give her back to me, unharmed, I'll see what I can do to help you." Spencer offered, taking another step forward. The woman, _JJ_, continued to struggle, continued to sob, her tangled hair covering most of her face. Spencer couldn't lose her; he would do anything to get her away from this man.

"Not another step!" Gordon warned.

"Reid?! What the fuck man?! Stop!" Morgan implored him.

"What if we made a trade…me for her? A federal agent like me would be a lot more valuable than her, don't you think? I'm very smart. I can help you get out of this. She just deals with the media, with different people; she doesn't offer you as much value." Spencer tried to reason.

Morgan glared at Reid from the corner of his eye, completely confused by what his partner was saying. It didn't make sense and on top of that, he was putting himself in a perilously dangerous situation. Gordon appeared to hesitate for just a moment as he considered the offer.

"If you let her go, if you give her back to us, you can have me." Spencer took one more step, the smell of perspiration and stale hay filling his nose.

Gordon shifted his eyes from one agent to the other. Seeing his advantage, a gleam caught his eye that Spencer seemed to miss but unnerved Morgan.

"I have a better idea." Gordon smiled sickly.

"No!" Morgan yelled.

The sound of two gunshots pierced the air, just as their back-up had finally arrived.

**AN: Yeah I did it, I know, I'm cruel. I also plead creative licensing to the fact that I had Reid pulled off JJ's case momentarily to go on this raid. I realize something like that would probably never happen, but I wanted to add even more suspense to the story (as if it really needed it). Any feedback –positive or negative- as always is welcome.**


	22. No Relief For JJ

**AN: First off, thank you to the Guest reviewer, Arwennicole, Alerria, cm-fan, crazyobsession101, Paige-Rawr, muccia12, and everyone else for the incredible feedback to this story!**

**Second, I apologize for taking so long in updating. This week became very busy and now that summer is about over, it's likely to continue. While I may not be able to update quite as frequently, I have every intention of updating as often as possible and seeing this story through to the end. Your feedback certainly helps to motivate me as well.**

**As for this chapter, I went through and re-edited it a couple of times, but I'm still not entirely happy with it. I'm not sure what it is, but it just didn't seem to flow as well and I had a lot more difficulty with writing some of the scenes. Maybe it's the subject matter, I'm not sure. But anyway, here it is. Warning as it is heavy on the abuse this chapter. I'm sorry JJ, but I guess this story I like putting her through hell until I can (maybe) build her back up again.**

JJ awoke to find herself in the same position she had been in her first night there. Her wrists were tied to the bedpost above her head, and she lay on her side in only her underwear with Tony pressed against her. The only difference was this time, he hadn't drugged her. It had taken JJ a long time to fall asleep; perhaps in part because she wasn't drugged, but more likely it was because of the events of the night just past.

As she licked her dry, cracked lips, the first thing JJ could taste was the remnants of the tangy, disgusting hand soap Tony had forced into her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she felt a painful burning racing through her lungs, reminding JJ of how she had felt like she was drowning when Tony used an excessive amount of water to wash the soap away when she refused to cooperate fully.

Shifting slightly, JJ became aware of two other things. First, the painful bruising on the middle of her back from the awkward angle Tony had held her at when he leaned her over the edge of the shower to wash her mouth out.

The other was the nauseous feeling she had, likely a combination from the pain she felt in addition to having swallowed some of the soap. Overall, she felt weaker than the day before, but she refused to allow that to break her resolve.

JJ cracked an eye open, trying to burn the images of last night from her mind. She looked to the window, her source of comfort, and saw the sun shining through into the room. It was bright, but not as bright as when she woke the day before. She guessed that it was maybe seven-thirty.

They had gone to bed earlier, but she had woken up earlier, and she hadn't slept nearly as well. She was stressed, too stressed. She had been missing for more than thirty hours now and she knew the normal time to find her was getting short. The forty-eight hour window she had given herself, her team, was beginning to close.

And without question, her situation was becoming direr. She had been stubborn, bold even, in standing up to Tony, and true to his word he had made her pay for it. If he held that pattern, then today she would get new clothes. Another piece of her identity, her connection to another world, _her world_, would be taken from her.

The way JJ saw it, she had two real options set before her. She could cave into Tony and become more submissive to him until her team arrived. Or, she could stay true to herself and continue to fight him, banking on the fact her team was close, but risking the real chance of more, progressively worse punishments.

JJ knew what she _wanted _to do, but not what she _should_ do. _Want _told her to keep fighting, _should _told her she would likely last longer by becoming submissive. JJ debated this in her mind as she kept her eyes closed, dreadfully waiting for Tony to stir awake. Sometime later she heard a deep intake of breath and felt him shift next to her.

'_Here it comes._' She cringed as she felt his hand leave her thigh as he rolled away from her. For a brief moment JJ breathed a quiet sigh of relief, thinking she had escaped any early morning activities. But just as she let her guard down, everything changed.

/

Tony slowly opened his eyes from a deep, peaceful sleep. When he first focused his gaze, he was met by the beautiful sight of _his_ girl sleeping beside him. It was a sight that never got old despite her indiscretions the previous night. It made him so happy to see her next to him.

As he rolled onto his back he turned his head to the side to look at her. He pushed the sheet down so that it was only mid-thigh level, giving him a great view of her back and some of her curves. He frowned as he saw some of the bruising that had formed, but his morning wood only became harder as he drank her in.

JJ was his, and tonight, in just a few hours, he could have her _completely_. The required two day waiting period would be over. He would be allowed to see her, feel her, and be inside of her for the very first time. It was a thought he had fantasized about a hundred times. Now, it was only a short time from coming true.

Then, once he had her and was indeed satisfied with what she provided him, then it would be time for the next step. She would be added to the colony, become a member. With the proper learning, she would be just as he wanted her. She would be there not just to serve him, but the colony. He was going to put her to work, use her way with words and ability to persuade to help the colony moving forward, especially against potential outside threats. He just had to be patient, he reminded himself.

Tony watched JJ for a while, as her body slowly moved up and down from her gentle breathing. After some time of this, his thoughts completely on her, he decided it was time for her to wake. He wanted to taste her. He wanted to see how she looked when she came _for him_ for the first time. He wanted to get her ready for tonight. This morning there would be no teasing just straight, simple, foreplay.

/

JJ was startled when she felt both of Tony's hands press into her side. Gently, he rolled her onto her back. She had been so surprised that her eyes immediately opened, her farce gone. JJ had barely adjusted to the light, to seeing the ceiling above her that she couldn't even react in time when he climbed on top of her.

"What…what's going on?" She stuttered as his thighs clamped around her hips, his hard manhood pressing into her waist.

"Good morning JJ." He smiled as he leaned down and planted a firm, passionate kiss on her lips.

JJ moved to stop him, jerking her wrists, but her heart dropped when they didn't move. She was harshly reminded that she was tied to the bed, she was almost completely helpless.

Tony moaned into the kiss as his tongue entered her mouth, devouring her familiar taste. She tried to nip him with her teeth, but he was ready for it, pulling away before she could. JJ whimpered when the kiss broke and he began to ravish her face with furious kisses. She bit her swollen bottom lip hard, to keep from begging him to stop. It took every fiber of her being for her to not beg him to stop. His hand pressed against her ribs, his fingers climbing her body until he squeezed her breast. She hissed, her back arching from the mattress as she tried to shake off his touch.

"Relax JJ…stop being so tense." Tony spoke into her collarbone between kisses.

"Tony…" She began, but caught herself.

"Yes, my dear?" He asked waiting, baiting her for what he knew she wanted to say.

JJ gulped down the lump in her throat, her mouth impossibly dry, and her stomach roiling in sickness.

"Nothing…" She said quietly, turning her eyes from him.

'_Seventeen more hours, hopefully.'_ JJ reminded herself as he kissed down her, stopping at the valley between her breasts. Tony squeezed his thighs tightly against her, enjoying the feel of her small hips squished between his legs.

'_Oh I'm going to fuck her good tonight._' He groaned again, more at the thought than what he was actually doing to her.

Tony's hand snaked down her stomach as he met her lips for another kiss. He kept his eyes firmly on JJ's, watching with pleasure as her blues went wide as his hand dipped lower. He watched the internal struggle going on in her head. He could see she wanted to tell him _so bad_ to stop, to _beg_ him to stop what he was doing, but that she knew she couldn't without resulting in even worse consequences. She knew he wouldn't allow it, it had taken her two nights, but she had finally learned it. To Tony, this was a major moment, a very big step in making her compliant in the way he wanted her to be, he was making significant progress.

When JJ finally couldn't take anymore, she thrusted her hips up violently in an attempt to knock him off of her. Tony gripped either side of the bed beside her tightly, his thighs squeezing her impossibly harder as he held his position. After a few more attempts, JJ collapsed unsuccessfully to the bed, exhausted.

Tony eyed the panting blonde with an amused grin. Once a moment had passed, Tony responded by roughly bucking his hips down onto hers, grinding on her fiercely as JJ whimpered beneath him uncomfortably.

"I can do that too, Jay-Jay…although I have a feeling I'm enjoying this a lot more than you are." He said darkly, repeating his actions. The movement put incredible pressure on JJ's tied wrists, her raw skin beginning to tear open after hours of irritation and strain.

"You will never have me! You're nothing but a sick psychopath!" JJ spat at him out of anger and frustration. She wished she could kick out at him, punch him even, but she was effectively pinned under Tony's body weight.

Tony chuckled, leaning over her and moving to her neck.

"On contraire JJ, I think your body would beg to differ with what you are telling me." He said softly, moving up to suck on her earlobe.

JJ cringed as she felt a chill run up her spine. She only felt more disgusted as his tongue traced the edge of her ear and his lips pulled on strands of her hair as his mouth slowly pulled away from her. JJ whimpered as he shifted his weight, somehow making her even more uncomfortable.

"Obviously while we've made some progress, you are still as stubborn as ever. I think…it's time for another lesson." Tony eyed her threateningly as she continued to fight and disobey him.

JJ forced herself to hold his gaze for as long as he held it on her. When he finally tore his eyes off hers and looked down, her eyes followed his, watching as his hand slowly, teasingly, traced a familiar path down her body. She tried everything to lose herself, to think of somewhere else, to be somewhere else, but nothing worked.

Tony leaned over her, running his hand through her hair, tangling the strands, as his eyes watched her body build up to the point of ecstasy. JJ felt herself reaching that familiar pinnacle, and she almost prepared herself for the point where he would stop, ending things just before she could come undone. Instead, it never came.

"Come for me, JJ." He rubbed her harder his fingers searching, and finding where she was most sensitive through the fabric of her underwear.

JJ opened her mouth, her eyes shot open. The breath left her lungs, her back arched, and she let out a strangled cry as she climaxed, her body shuddering as waves of unwanted pleasure rushed through her. Tony watched what to him was a glorious sight as the blonde came undone as a result of his efforts. It took every ounce of control he had to not take her right there. The thought that he had just done that to her, gave him the ultimate sense of control, domination. He knew his father would be proud.

JJ closed her eyes, a couple tears trickling from the corners, as she gasped for breath. Her body had betrayed her. She couldn't even meet Tony's eyes; she knew all too well they would have a gleam of triumph, of success. He was learning her body and how to use it to his advantage while she could do nothing. She felt sick, nauseous. She was going to throw up. As Tony lowered his face to hers, pressing an almost loving kiss to her lips, JJ became frantic.

"Stop. Please, I need to use the bathroom, I don't feel well." She cried as she pulled on her bleeding wrists. Tony pulled away and looked at her, reading that she was indeed serious.

"Ok, calm down, just relax." Tony tried to soothe her, suddenly feeling an ounce of empathy for the blonde, but to little avail. As soon as he untied her wrists he helped JJ to her feet and led her to the bathroom. Before letting her enter he stopped her, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. Her eyes were red and puffy, she looked a little pale. Stroking her tangled hair from her face he talked softly.

"Take the time you need. Get yourself cleaned up, take another shower. I'll have breakfast ready for you when you come out. My only request is you pass me your underwear through the door once you get in there so I can have them washed with the rest of your clothes. Ok?" He asked as his fingers buried deeper into her scalp, cupping the back of her head. He could see the hesitation, fear, in her eyes.

"You can use a towel to cover up until your clothes come back, it shouldn't take too long."

"Why?" JJ asked weakly, her voice sounding almost defeated.

"You've worn the same clothes for going on three days now, until I can get you clothes today you need something to wear. I like a woman who's clean. And I have no doubt you like to be clean. I promise, there's nothing behind this, I'm just trying to be nice."

"If you were nice you wouldn't do what you just did to me, and you'd let me go." She said as her eyes focused on her feet.

"You needed to be punished, I explained this to you. If you don't want to be punished, then all you have to do is behave as I ask." He told her more firmly.

Turning slowly, her ability to keep the bile in her throat waning, JJ took the last few steps away from him. Closing the bathroom door, Tony waited for what seemed like a long moment. Just as he was about to knock, the door opened slightly and she threw her underwear out onto the floor by his feet, closing the door just as quick as she had opened it.

Tony picked up the discarded material and joined them with the rest of JJ's clothes, making sure to note the sizes. Heading to the door he gave them to the woman responsible for washing his clothes for him.

As soon as the door shut, JJ turned on the water to the shower. Quickly pulling up the toilet seat, she fell to her knees and leant over it, retching. After releasing what food she had left in her stomach, she continued to dry heave for a few moments, her body reacting to all the stress it was feeling. As her heaving calmed, her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.

Pulling away from the toilet JJ collapsed on the floor as sobs wracked her body. She let the emotion leave, telling herself that it was ok to cry, that she had to let the stress go or else she would never survive this. She hoped that Tony couldn't hear her, using the shower to help drown out the noise she was making, though she suspected he knew. She didn't want to show him weakness, but her guard had been let down, her defenses were failing.

At this rate if her team didn't find her, JJ knew she would likely break in the coming days. She was strong; she always believed that she was. But she was struggling to deal with this, to being kidnapped and then to be controlled and touched so intimately. She tried to think of Spence, but all she felt was _him_; the evil man who clearly wanted her for his own.

Beyond that, she didn't know what his game was. Was he simply some crazed lunatic who was drawn to her? Or was there something more he was looking to get out of her? JJ didn't know, and every time she tried to find out, he gave her nothing to work with. She had to keep trying; she had to pull herself together. She had to act like the trained FBI agent she was, and think like the profiler she wasn't. She had to figure him out; she had to go back on the offensive instead of simply reacting to everything he sent at her.

JJ had her answer, she couldn't be submissive, and she had to keep fighting. Fighting, meant right now, at this moment, she had to pick herself up off the ground, clean up, and gather her thoughts for when she saw Tony again. That was exactly what she did.

/

JJ opened the bathroom door once she had thoroughly scrubbed every inch of her body and then dried off. She had a towel tightly tied around her lithe form, although she had to fight mightily the feeling that she was rather vulnerable and exposed. Her hair was wrapped in a bun with another towel covering the top of her head. Re-entering the main room, she looked around cautiously as her eyes immediately tried to locate Tony. After a minute, he entered from the small kitchen.

"Hey there you are, I was starting to get a little worried. Breakfast is on the table when you're ready to eat. I have to leave for work in a few." He said as he took a few steps toward her while he chewed on an apple.

"Your clothes should be here in a little while, so I'll leave you untied so you're able to get redressed. I'll have those new clothes I promised you tonight." He said as he eyed her, noticing how her demeanor had changed from fragile to confident during her time spent in the bathroom.

"Ok." JJ acknowledged simply. She slowly moved across the room and towards the couch.

"Just make sure I don't regret leaving you untied. I'll be by during lunch with some more documents to type."

JJ ignored him on purpose as she reached down and ate a strawberry from the plate of food. Tony watched her, sizing her up a little as he took another step closer. He could tell she had changed a little, she'd regrouped. As he'd expected, she was one tough woman. He loved it.

"You should let your hair down; I like it better like that." He spoke again.

"I will, later on." JJ said tersely as she ate another strawberry.

"No, you should do it now. You should brush it out too." Tony said, taking another step closer. He hated when someone didn't do something when he asked them to. He was in charge, especially when it came to her.

"I will after I've had something to eat. Right now the towel is keeping it out of my face. It shouldn't matter to you, you're leaving anyway." JJ snapped, trying his patience.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is I told you to do something, which means you do it." He took a step closer and grabbed her arm firmly, forcing her to drop the strawberry she had in her hand.

JJ whirled around to face him, her eyes confident, and her face defiant.

"Why does it anger you so much when I don't do as you ask? Why do you have to be in control of every, little, thing?" JJ glared at him.

"Does it make you feel manlier? Do you get off on it? Or does it fulfill something that is actually lacking in your own self-confidence? You _hate_ that I'm strong, that I have the will to stand up to you, don't you?" JJ continued, watching as his face began to turn a shade of red. She set her feet more firmly to the ground, confidently challenging him as she tried to go on the offensive, to have him off guard for once.

"You're self-confidence is so bad you can't even tell me anything about yourself. You're scared I might learn too much, or that I may come to despise you more than I already do." JJ spat as her body leaned closer.

Tony felt the rage building as she continued to attack him. The urge to hit her was great, but he reminded himself that it would be unwise, especially with the ceremony tomorrow. For now, he had to find a different form of punishment. He had to remind her of her place. She had to learn she had no right to speak to him like that. He loved her boldness, but he was beginning to despise her stubbornness.

JJ refused to wince as his fingers dug into her arm more painfully.

"You think you have it all figured out Jennifer, but you don't. I applaud your efforts, really, I do. But it won't work. I've been through this before, you can't get to me."

"You won't break me."

Tony laughed.

"I've already started to. You're becoming more desperate, you realize this is a battle you are slowly losing. You know you are at a great disadvantage. This is a fight that you can't win JJ."

"I won't give up." She refused to back down.

"You will, eventually. But until then I'll continue to enjoy your feistiness." He reached up to touch her cheek. JJ slowly closed her eyes, forcing herself to lean into his touch a little, baiting him. Tony chuckled as his finger traced her cheek.

"See, like this. You wouldn't let me do this two days ago."

JJ kept focused on her task, imagining where the key was on his chest. She could feel him move closer, his lips hovering. She forced herself to wait until the last possible second. She could feel his breath, smell it as it travelled up her nostrils. When she sensed she couldn't wait any longer, she struck.

Her eyes shot open, her hand snatched at the key around his neck and she brought her knee up between his legs. It happened so quick Tony didn't even know what happened until he was on the floor, clutching his groin in pain.

The chain broke off and the key fell into her hand. JJ's heart filled with elation as she made a mad dash to the door, her appearance be damned. Her hands were shaking as she tried to fit the key into the lock. She could hear Tony grunt as he slowly struggled to his feet.

"John get in here!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, knowing the blonde would have the door unlocked before he got there.

The lock gave and JJ whipped the door open. She didn't wait as she ran down the uneven hardwood corridor, her bare feet making pitter-pattering noises as she went. She made it just past the first door on the right, about fifteen feet down the long hallway, when the door flew open.

She could hear Tony behind her and now John was too. Only John was closer. He was also bigger and faster than she was. JJ reached the end of the hall and the top of the familiar staircase she had been led up almost two days earlier. She lowered her foot to the top step when a firm arm grabbed her, nearly ripping the towel from her body as it grabbed a hold of her.

"No!" JJ cried out as she tried to break free, tried desperately for her right foot to make it to that second step.

"No, I'm not going! Help me!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she was lifted from the staircase and brought back to the dreary corridor, facing the opposite way of her escape. She had been _so close._ No help came, and JJ watched frantically as Tony stormed towards her, his fists balled.

"Give her to me!" Tony ordered John. John did as he was told, pushing JJ towards the man.

"_Very _good try Agent Jareau. But as you can see, even if you escape _me_, I have it set up so you still won't get very far. You cannot, and will not escape here unless I _let_ you." He sneered as his fingers dug into her arm once more. Roughly, he led her back down the hallway as she continued to fight him.

"Try all you want, but _this_ won't work." Tony jerked her as he pushed her through the doorway and back into her prison.

"Now, let your hair down like I told you." He ordered as he picked the key from the door and relocked it. Taking the broken chain, he shoved it into his pants pocket until he could get it fixed. JJ turned and faced him up, refusing to back down.

"I told you…after I'm done with breakfast. Leave me alone!"

"Your breakfast is over. You lost that with the little stunt you just tried to pull."

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted me to touch your boys…was I too rough for you?" JJ smirked.

Grabbing her shoulder, he yanked the towel from her head, painfully pulling her hair as he did so.

"Baby, you have no idea what rough is. If you want me to show you, I will." Tony threatened, throwing the towel to the floor.

"I'll pass, I'm really not interested in you." She replied snidely.

"You don't get to decide that little girl. You have one hell of a smart mouth right now. You're lucky I don't _really_ teach you a lesson."

"What, like how to roll over? Did your daddy teach you that one too while he was at it?"

"You're funny, but no. There are _other_ tricks I can teach you though, given some time." He smiled as his hand gripped her face. "You're really determined not to listen to me, huh?"

JJ didn't say anything, defiantly staring into his eyes.

"Ok, have it your way."

Tony forced her towards the bed and roughly threw her on it. He wrestled with her as JJ struggled to keep him away. After some effort he was seated firmly on her backside as she was pressed into the mattress face down. Reaching for the bedside table, he unlocked the draw with his key and pulled out a pair of scissors.

"You keep a pair of scissors near your bed?" JJ slurred as her face was pressed against the pillow. She eyed the scissors warily, unsure of what he was about to do to her.

"Just for you, baby." He leant down and whispered.

"I'll ask you again, are you sure you don't want to do as I say?"

"No." JJ answered almost without pause.

"Ok then. As much as it pains me to do this, maybe you'll learn after I give you a little haircut. Such a shame, I do love your hair." He pressed JJ more firmly into the mattress, adding weight to her head to keep her pinned. JJ bit her lip, but couldn't keep the whimper from escaping her throat as he lowered the scissors towards her scalp.

'_You can do this, stay strong. Don't give into him.'_

She _loved_ her hair. She really did. She kept trying to tell herself that it would grow back eventually, but she despised the idea of short hair. It wasn't her. This man was going to ruin her. JJ closed her eyes and winced when she heard a snip from the scissors.

Tony cut a small strand of hair from the back of her thick scalp. Holding the hair in his hand, he brought it around and held it down in front of JJ's face for her to see. He watched as she eyed the strand. He could see it affected her, as much as she tried to hide it.

"Want me to stop?"

JJ bit her lip and closed her eyes again.

"No? Ok…" He lowered the scissors and cut another small strand, careful to make sure that at least for now, it wouldn't be visible that her hair was missing from where he had cut.

"How about now?" He asked as he made her look at his hand again. "I can stop now and it won't be noticeable. Or I can continue and in a few more snips you'll have no choice but to restyle it."

JJ grunted, trying to remain strong, but he could see the tears beginning to form in her eyes. She wasn't going to let him do this, she couldn't.

"See, you do love your appearance. You are just as self-conscious and narcissistic as anyone else…as I am. You can't stand the thought of this. I can see it on your face no matter how hard you try not to show it." Leaning back over her, Tony put the scissors back in the drawer and locked it up.

"You're lucky I absolutely _love_ your long, blonde hair Jennifer. Because if I didn't, I wouldn't have even given you a choice, it'd be all gone already." He said as he let his fingers run through the still-damp strands from her shower. He 'petted' her for a few moments before sighing.

"I'm sorry Jennifer, but I just have the feeling that wasn't a suitable enough punishment for you. I think you are ready for the next stage." Tony said quietly. JJ felt her stomach growl as she wondered what he could possibly be considering now.

"John! I need you back in here…bring the needle!" Tony turned and hollered as he remained on top of her. At the word 'needle' JJ immediately began to struggle as she tried to buck him off of her.

"No!" Her shout was muffled by the pillow. She felt a chill as she heard the bedroom door unlock and open.

"You know what I meant, right?" Tony turned and questioned John as he entered, holding the needle.

"Yeah, I think so."

"I don't want the sedative, I want the other thing. I think she's ready for some _real_ training." Tony smiled as he looked back down at the still-struggling woman.

"I have it right here." John smiled a little, lifting the syringe up in his hand and handing it over to Tony.

"Good. See if Sara is done with her clothes. I can't have her going out looking like this."

John nodded and stepped back out for a moment.

"What…what is the next stage?" JJ asked as she struggled to breathe. She heard Tony chuckle as his fingers grabbed her arm tightly and twisted it behind her back.

"As I'm sure you were smart enough to figure out by now, your training isn't just physical, it's mental. You see…I want _all _of you…JJ." He hissed into her ear. She opened her mouth to protest, but instead wound up coughing. The combination of the weight on her back and her face being pressed into the pillow was making it increasingly harder for her to breathe properly as she struggled.

"This…while not a sedative per se, will help you with the next mental step you are about to take." Tony spoke as he found the vein in the crook of her elbow.

"You may feel light headed and dizzy again, but most of your motor skills, your ability to speak, will be left mostly in tact…as well as your ability to feel." He instructed, feeling JJ jolt and tense as the needle punctured her skin.

"Today, you begin the journey of becoming a true member of the colony. Today begins your instruction." Tony whispered as he emptied the contents of the needle into the vein in JJ's arm as she growled in protest. Her body relaxed a little when he pulled the needle back out. She had obviously accepted her fate, any further struggles wouldn't matter.

As Tony remained seated on JJ, watching her intently, John returned with Sara and JJ's pile of clothes. Tony nodded, finally climbing off the blonde woman as he handed the needle back to John so he could dispose of it. Turning to Sara, he eyed the timid woman.

"Make sure she gets dressed. You don't have a lot of time until the drug will start affecting her. Once she's done, you may go. John will be in charge of seeing that she is delivered to the 'classroom'."

Sara met his eyes and nodded quietly. Tony turned back to JJ who had now sat up at the edge of the bed. He watched as she stood and moved back towards the plate of food.

"No you don't. I told you, breakfast is over." He said firmly as he grabbed her arm and whirled her around.

"If you're going to put me on drugs, don't you think it'd be a good idea to let me eat something so you don't accidently overdose me?" JJ challenged.

"Don't worry my dear, I didn't give you that much. Just enough to make sure it works." Tony chuckled, staring deep into her eyes. "If I were you, I'd be more worried about putting your clothes back on before the drug hits you. It shouldn't be long now. If you wait too long, Sara, or perhaps I, will have to dress you." He said with a wink.

JJ pulled away from him, disgusted. Grabbing the clothes from Sara, he handed them to JJ and watched as she obediently went to the bathroom to get dressed. Tony smiled to himself, knowing the veiled threat had worked.

"I need to go. John, make sure she gets there on time. No stalling, no detours." Tony said to the large man who had just reentered the room. The man nodded his understanding.

Tony turned, glancing at the bathroom one last time before he left. He knew that today would be the most trying day for Jennifer Jareau, but also, that it would be one of great progress regardless of how she acted.


	23. One Case Closed

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole, jmdernier, muccia12, Avidreader2, and the 3 Guest reviewers for reviewing the last chapter! As I've said before although I wrote most of this ahead of time, I do take your comments and suggestions into account since you are taking the time to give feedback. I may not always use them, but I do try to make some adjustments to the story if I feel they are needed.**

The first was Gordon, having sustained a lethal gunshot wound to his carotid artery. His blood had sprayed on impact, soaking Anita, and now it continued to pour out onto the ground where he lay dead. Morgan had been a quick trigger, his reactions likely saving everyone else's lives. Unfortunately, he had been a millisecond too slow in saving Spencer from getting hit.

Morgan's bullet had made a quick, direct line for Gordon, hitting him with such impact that he immediately let go of Anita. It shifted his body sideways just enough to avoid causing lethal damage to Spencer as Gordon's own gun discharged.

Spencer saw it coming, but was too close to have time to react. The bullet caught his upper left arm, thankfully just grazing him. Had it been a couple inches over, hitting his chest, he would've been dead. Spencer slowly rose from the ground, clutching his throbbing arm as the blood seeped through his shirt.

"Reid! Reid! Take it easy man. Wait for help." Morgan rushed over to him, holstering his gun.

"I'm fine…I'm fine Morgan." He winced as he stood.

"No you're not, you've just been shot. I need a medic in here!" Morgan called over his shoulder as he helped Spencer lean against him.

"Morgan! Reid! What happened?" Emily asked as she rushed over to meet them.

"Gordon took down one of the officers outside and ran in here. Reid and I pursued him, a standoff ensued and I was forced to shoot him. Unfortunately he got a shot off that clipped Reid in the arm." Morgan explained, meeting eyes with his other team members. He knew what he said wasn't entirely true, but until he knew what was going on with Reid he was determined to cover for him, he wasn't just going to throw him under the bus.

Hotchner looked around the barn, taking in the scene, from the dead unsub, to the saved mother and child who were now being attended to. He couldn't help but to feel a small sense of relief; both for the mother and child being saved, and for this case finally coming to an end. Now, finally, they could put their complete focus on JJ's abduction.

Any slight chance of the two cases being related had gone out the window. It didn't fit, not that they really thought it did, and from seeing Gordon's house it was obvious the man had never come in contact with JJ. He wasn't stable enough to plan out her abduction, and his primary focus had been on the children all along.

Hotchner took a breath, glancing at Gordon's dead body one final time. He tried to cover any lingering guilt he felt, but it remained regardless. He really hadn't wanted to spend his time chasing this man when they should've been looking for JJ. He knew having done so could've cost his agent's life.

The profile suggested this wouldn't be the case. That they had time, that _she _had time, but there were never any certainties in this job. Hotchner had learned that a long time ago. He knew more than likely _when_ they found JJ, it wouldn't be the same JJ that had been taken from them. He had faith in her, faith in her to persevere and be strong until they got there. It was this faith that had allowed him to make the decision to continue on both cases confidently externally, even if internally it was eating him alive, gnawing at him.

Hotchner had made the decision and now he would have to live with it. They weren't leaving one of their own behind; they were working to find her as they worked to wrap up the Gordon case. The sooner they wrapped up the Gordon case, the sooner they got rid of the pressure to solve the case and the stress of dealing with the panicked community, the sooner they could focus on finding JJ without any inherent distractions. Now, even though they had already worked long hours, it would be all hands at the ready to find their missing team member. Staying motivated would not be an issue. Forcing themselves to sleep, as the days potentially wore on with JJ still out there somewhere would be the real challenge. It already had been, for Hotchner personally.

While he wasn't nearly in the same state as Reid, who was obviously beyond exhausted, Hotchner too had spent many hours awake at night pondering JJ's disappearance and attempting to connect the dots. Hopefully now, with some of the evidence they were beginning to gather and the distractions gone, they could find her in swift order and bring her home safely. Hotchner wasted no time in regrouping and getting back to business.

"Morgan, go with Reid to the hospital and see that he gets checked out. When he's cleared you can meet us back at the precinct." He began. "Prentiss and Rossi, we'll let the locals clean up the rest of this. There is little more that we can do here. We're going to head back to the precinct and begin looking over everything Reid has from the last day, as well as check in on Garcia and see if there is a further lead with the purchase of the trackers. Detective Moses, do you mind if we continue to use your conference room while we look for our agent?"

"Hey, whatever help you need I'll see what we can do to give it." Moses replied graciously, thrilled that the case that had been haunting his town was finally solved and over. Hotchner met the man's eyes and nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you."

Looking at his team through confident, dark eyes, he spoke one more time.

"We will worry about filing reports on what happened and sending in all of the paperwork later on. Right now our only focus is to get JJ back. I know you are all ready to do whatever it takes and I can assure you that I am too. We need to all be prepared by what we might find, but we also need to keep faith in JJ and in our abilities to come up with an accurate profile. We will find her alive. Let's get to work."

/

The ride in the back of the ambulance to the hospital was silent. The siren blared loudly as the vehicle navigated traffic quickly, travelling the twenty minutes it took to get to the hospital from the barn.

Morgan had wanted to talk to Reid; to ask him what had happened back there, but now wasn't the appropriate time. For one, the paramedic was sitting right there and this was a private conversation. Secondly, said paramedic was holding an oxygen mask to Reid's face as a precaution, making it impossible for the young man to talk anyway.

While Morgan could tell Reid wasn't in any danger of dying, the paramedic had noted how tired and exhausted Reid appeared to be and how his blood pressure was a bit high, unrelated to the gunshot wound. Morgan nodded that he understood, and the rest of the ride was particularly quiet as Morgan's focus shifted from one man to the other as he recounted what had happened in the barn in his mind.

Finally, the ambulance came to a quick stop and Reid was helped out, led into the lobby of the ER. At both agents' insistence and with some help from the paramedic, Reid was accepted in right away to have his wound taken care of.

Morgan sat in the lobby impatiently as he waited. He couldn't sit still. He tried to focus on reading a magazine or watching the TV, but he couldn't do it. His mind kept flashing between JJ and what he had witnessed with Reid in the barn. He knew Reid was pulling long hours, that he hadn't gotten a good night sleep in days, but he was almost worried that Reid might be hallucinating, or worse.

He had clearly heard Reid thinking he was talking to JJ. He had heard what Reid had said when he tried unsuccessfully to talk Gordon down. He also heard some of the cries coming from the hotel room beside him at night. He knew Reid was having nightmares, not that he could blame the man. It was hard enough for Morgan not to dwell on JJ, to not have nightmares about what could be happening to her either.

The big difference was, he wasn't in love with JJ like Reid was. He also wasn't as sensitive, didn't have as much trouble with women, didn't become as attached to women as easily as Reid did. For Spencer Reid this was more personal. The mental toll was weighing heavily on him, to the point where soon it would begin to weigh on him physically to the point where no amount of coffee could help him. If this continued, if Reid didn't take some time to calm down and get control of himself, he could be headed towards a mental break, if he hadn't already reached that point.

Morgan sighed, running a hand firmly over his head as he tried not to read too much into what had just happened. It must've been maybe half an hour later when a nurse entered the lobby and approached him.

"I'm assuming Spencer Reid is your partner?" She said sweet but abruptly. Morgan looked up from his leaned forward position and nodded, standing from the chair.

"He is. I'm that easy to spot huh?"

The nurse smiled shyly.

"More like he wouldn't stop asking for you. He described you in great detail when he began to get frustrated with us. He claims he's ready to leave with you, but we're still waiting on a few more tests."

"What kind of tests?"

"Nothing to become too alarmed over, most of it is just standard. We sterilized and cleaned his wound, and gave him a shot to guard against lead poisoning. We also gave him some mild pain killers to help relax him and take away some of the soreness. An antibiotic has also been prescribed to guard against infection." The nurse continued to explain as she guided Morgan down the hallway towards Spencer's room. A few more feet and they stood outside of the doorway.

"You can go sit with him while we wait for the tests to come back, it shouldn't be too long." The nurse offered and Morgan nodded his approval.

"Thank you very much." He thanked her before she walked away. Opening the door, Morgan walked in to see Spencer lying rather rigidly in the hospital bed.

"Morgan! I'm glad you're here. Now we can get out of here." Spencer said as he sat up quickly.

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy. We're still waiting on a few tests before they let us go." Morgan put his hands up to stop him.

"I told them I'm fine, the bullet barely grazed me. I probably won't have much of a scar, we need to go." Spencer moved to swing his legs over the edge of the bed when Morgan stopped him.

"Hey, easy. I know you want to get out of here and get back to work, but we have to wait. Just be patient, it shouldn't take too long." Morgan said as he gently pushed the young agent back into bed.

"I don't have time for patience Morgan when JJ's out there. She might not have time for us to be patient."

"Reid, listen. I get it. But you aren't going anywhere until the doctor says it's ok. If you leave without getting cleared Hotch won't have any choice but to pull you. Just be easy for a few, we need to talk anyway." Morgan said, pulling up a chair and taking a seat.

"What is there to talk about? I thought I could talk him down and obviously that wasn't the case. If you want me to thank you for saving my life then yeah, maybe a thank you is in store. So, thank you." Spencer said before turning to the ceiling.

Morgan sighed a little, knowing this wasn't going to be easy especially given the defensive attitude Reid already had in place.

"That's not what I was going to say, but you're welcome. What I wanted to talk about was what happened back there."

"I just told you what happened."

"No, there was something else. You froze back there man. I think I've only ever seen you freeze once."

"I didn't freeze!"

"I did practically all the talking while you stood off to the side with almost a weird look in your eye. The only time you really started talking was when you dropped your gun and that was bizarre in itself."

"How was that bizarre?! I told you I thought I could talk him down, I made a mistake, that's it." Spencer shifted in the bed, becoming more defensive.

"First of all you dropped your gun in a situation where you clearly shouldn't have. We were taught practically our first week of training a standoff situation like that, when you have someone as volatile as Gordon cornered, you never give up your ability to defend yourself or protect others. You did."

"Morgan you're making a bigger deal out of this than necessary, I made a stupid mistake. Why can't you drop it?!"

"Because there's more to it than that Reid! You called Anita JJ, I heard you whisper it."

"No I didn't!" Spencer shouted incredulously.

"Yes you did. And then, when you were talking the unsub down you implied that Anita was an FBI agent, an FBI agent that works with the media." Morgan fired back.

Spencer froze, his mouth half-open in protest but Morgan continued.

"Now, I don't know what happened back there Reid, but you _need_ to tell me. I covered for you back there. I haven't told anyone, not even the doctors. But if you want me to keep this up, you're going to have to be real with me. You not only could've been killed, but you could've gotten me and everyone else in that barn killed as well. We got lucky today."

"Nothing is going on Morgan." Spencer said quietly as his eyes focused back to the patterns in the ceiling tiles.

"Damn it Reid get off it! You flip on Brewer then disappear yesterday. You almost get yourself killed today. You look like shit, your blood pressure is up. I've heard you at night a few times through the wall. Stop bullshitting me that everything is alright and tell me what the fuck is going on! I have a right to know!" Morgan roared in frustration.

"What do you think is going on Morgan?! JJ is missing! She randomly gets abducted by a pair of guys we barely know anything about. Our leads are minimal. She could be anywhere with anything possibly happening to her. There's a chance she is dead already! I love this girl more than anything! If you felt the way I do, don't you think you wouldn't sleep? Don't you think you might have nightmares because you are worried sick about her? Of course you would! I look like shit because I haven't been able to sleep. I have high blood pressure between the lack of sleep and the stress I'm feeling because I feel like I could lose her and up until now it seemed like I was the only one who gave a shit!" Spencer shouted.

"You know that's not true Reid."

"If she was so important then why the hell didn't we just drop the Gordon case?! Why didn't we focus all of our efforts on finding JJ right away instead of letting time go by so that now if she is alive it'll be _really_ hard to try to find her?"

"You don't know that Reid. She could escape, or the unsubs could screw up somewhere. And we didn't have a choice Reid, we had to try to work both cases. Hotch would've never been able to give up the Gordon case without backlash from everyone, we've been over this."

"There's always a choice Morgan." Spencer mumbled, refusing to make eye contact. "And now that _I_ made the choice to let you talk me into going on the raid that was supposed to be _safe_, I'm stuck here in a hospital bed and we're wasting even more time. I can't win." He said quietly, trying his hardest to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out.

"Reid, the rest of the team is back at the station now, going over JJ's case as we speak. We will find her. But like I told you yesterday, you have to take care of yourself too man. If you have a break down, if you start hallucinating or have trouble concentrating, you're putting the rest of us in danger. How is that going to help JJ?"

Spencer kept quiet, biting his lip as he stared straight ahead.

"Listen to me, what we know of the profile says JJ isn't dead."

"We don't have much of a profile, it's pretty broad." Spencer cut in.

"Still, the odds say she's alive. You know it, and so do I. That means we have time to find these guys. We have them on tape if what you say is right. We have them tracked back to that store. It's only a matter of time before we find more clues and connect the dots. You know JJ will leave whatever bread crumbs she can to help us." Morgan encouraged.

"I know Morgan…I just can't get over that this happened. What did she do to deserve this? What did I do to deserve this? It's not fair."

"I know my man, I know."

Spencer took a shaky breath, wiping his eye with the side of his arm.

Suddenly the door opened, causing Morgan to stand and Spencer to gather himself and sit up straight. The nurse from earlier entered, eyeing them both. They both acknowledged her but remained quiet.

"Your tests Agent Reid are pretty normal, you are healthy overall. The only things we are concerned by are the blood pressure as you already know, and the fact that your white blood cell count is a little low. This suggests that perhaps you are fighting a virus, or, your body hasn't been taking in the proper amount of vitamins or nutrients."

Spencer eyed the woman warily as he knew she had more to say.

"Further, it is apparent you are suffering from a mild case of exhaustion."

Morgan watched Reid for his reaction, knowing he was getting a bit antsy while the nurse paused.

"I ran this by the doctor…the only thing we are worried about Agent Reid, is that this combination could cause problems in your bullet wound healing, and it could even make you sick. Bouts of fatigue, bordering on extreme wouldn't be overly surprising given the current shape you are in."

"What are you saying, nurse?" Morgan asked her calmly.

"What I am saying is, while the antibiotics should work, we are suggesting that Agent Reid needs to get the proper rest and the proper nutrients back into his system. I have no doubt how demanding your job can be, but I think it wise he takes a break and rests, just for the rest of the day." The nurse said, turning her attention to Morgan.

"Uh, thanks, but no thanks. I'm fine, I have work to do." Spencer said as he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed while they both watched him.

"Agent Reid, I can assure you this would be in your best interest. Given your current condition, we find it plausible that you haven't slept more than a few hours over the last few days. The doctor suggested a light sleep aid to help if you would like." The nurse said lightly.

"Again, thank you, but I'm all set. I have work I have to do." Spencer said as he placed his feet on the cool tile floor.

"Reid, maybe she's right on this. They are trained professionals." Morgan suggested calmly, knowing full well the resistance Spencer was about to give them.

"Really, it's not necessary. I need to go." Spencer said as he completely stood, his stance wobbling just a little as he adjusted to the sudden wave of weakness he felt.

Morgan and the nurse both exchanged a glance. Feeling defeated at the realization she wasn't very likely to get through to the stubborn man, the nurse continued with her instructions.

"I want you to fill the prescription and start on the antibiotics immediately. I mean, as soon as you leave here. We gave you a dose shortly after we removed a bullet, but you will need another in a few hours. It is _imperative_ that you do this or you will be back in here quickly as I am sure you know, understood?"

"Yes, is that all?" Spencer replied abruptly, crossing the room to retrieve his shoes.

"No. I also want you to go get some food and eat something. I mean a _real, _full meal. You have not been eating well and this will help you heal and give you more energy."

"I'll take him somewhere as soon as we leave." Morgan offered.

"Good. Now finally, I am going to prescribe you with some over the counter sleeping pills. They will be mild, but they should be enough to help you get a good six or seven hours of sleep that you must have, especially tonight with all the strain your body has gone through. I would highly recommend you take one tonight." The nurse said, staring hard at Reid. Spencer met her eyes, but remained quiet.

"I am going to tell your friend here, Agent Morgan, to keep a very close eye on you, and for him to see that you follow my instructions." She said, turning to Morgan.

"I will, I promise you." Morgan agreed.

"I would like for him to get to bed early tonight if possible, preferably so that he _does_ get the sleep he needs. I don't care what you have to do Agent Morgan, but see that it happens."

Morgan nodded, looking to Reid who was all ready to leave.

"I know you are a smart man Dr. Reid, you would be wise to take heed of my instructions, it is with your best interest at heart whether you want to believe it or not." The nurse finished, eyeing the man once more. Turning she looked at Morgan who gave a slight smile in an attempt to assure the woman that her directions would be followed.

"I'll finish up the paperwork so you can go."

"Thank you Nurse Mullaney." Morgan called after her, reading the name off her name tag as she left.

Turning back towards Reid, Morgan met his eyes evenly.

"Let's go." Spencer said as he walked past Morgan.

"Hey take it easy Reid. We'll get back to the station soon enough. We need to make a couple of stops first anyway." Morgan reminded him. Spencer turned and shot him a look as they approached the main desk.

They stopped at the main desk to sign the paper work and to pick up the scripts. After thanking Nurse Mullaney one more time, they quickly made their way for the exit. With his freedom given, Spencer felt a rush of adrenaline that allowed him to tune out some of the fatigue his body felt. In a blur they stopped at the drug store to get the prescriptions filled. While they waited for it to be filled, they rushed next door to wolf down a very quick, filling, lunch from a nearby restaurant. By the time they were done the prescriptions were ready and they were flying back to the police station.

Checking his phone as they walked through the double doors, Spencer saw that it was almost one. He had lost a good four hours, but he was hardly going to allow himself to be deterred at the moment. He had been given plenty of time to self-loathe and feel down, now it was time to get down to business.

**AN: I know this chapter wasn't overly exciting, but it allowed me to wrap up the first case and address some of Reid's issues a little, so now the proper focus can be given to JJ's case. More to come soon!**


	24. Brainwash

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole and cm-fan for reviewing the last chapter. To Arwennicole, I'd give you a hint, but I don't want to ruin the story. You'll just have to wait and see! To cm-fan, you are correct about the errors you noted, poor job of editing on my part. They should be fixed now.**

**This chapter contains more JJ whump and the introduction of another new, crazy character. The next chapter should bring some progress to the case. I realize this story has lagged/been drawn out in parts. I guess I got a little carried away when I was writing some of this. There are still a fair amount of chapters remaining, although I am writing towards the conclusion as we speak with the goal to at least be done writing (if not completely posted) by the season 8 premiere. Enjoy!**

JJ took a deep breath and sighed as she dropped the towel from her body and began the process of dressing. She felt fine for the time being, but if what he had given her was anything like what she had been injected with before, then she knew it wouldn't be long before she started to feel the effects.

She was proud of herself for standing up to Tony, for being strong. But she was upset at herself for ultimately breaking down to him once again. Granted, he had made the eventual choice to stop, but she had clearly lost some of her conviction when his threats became real. She needed to do better. She had come so close to escaping. She had shown him that she would continue to stand up to him. Now she just had to make her attempts real just like he did with his threats.

The problem was he wielded too much power; almost everything seemed to favor him. For JJ, it was like every step forward in progress she would make, would quickly be met by taking two steps backward at the hands of Tony.

JJ pulled her pants on as her stomach growled, reminding her that she had barely had anything to eat and now she'd have to do without for at least a few more hours. She would have to make do. She'd have to try her best not to think about it.

As she pulled her shirt on over her shoulders, she began to feel a little woozy. It hit her quick, like a ton of bricks. By the time she had finished dressing and had quickly run a brush through her hair, she found it difficult to stand. A firm knocking on the door sounded like a sledgehammer pounding in her ears.

"Let's go! If you don't come out now, I will come in." The voice warned.

JJ took small steps towards the door, stumbling, as she reached for the door knob. She turned the knob and pulled the door open, nearly falling over as she did so. A strong arm grabbed onto her, keeping her from making contact with the floor. The room was spinning and everything looked hazy as she tried to look up at the man who held her. John smiled, noticing how glazed and distant the blonde's blue eyes looked.

"Looks like you finished just in time." He said as he wrapped JJ's arm around his shoulder so she could lean her weight on him.

"You can go now Sara." John said to the woman, who eyed the blonde fearfully and yet almost sympathetically.

"Say goodbye to Sara." He told JJ quietly.

It felt like she was lifting an intense weight as she tried to look up from the floor in the direction of Sara. When she had finally accomplished the feat, the woman was already gone.

"Come on, let's go. We can't have you being late to your first class." John chuckled.

As he half-walked, half-dragged JJ down the hallway, she tried to focus herself. Everything, including her own thoughts were floating about as they moved down the hall she had run down earlier. Deep inside her brain, her conscious was yelling at her to run, to make a break for it, but her body refused to work. The further down the hall, and then the steps they went, the more her conscious' pleas began to fade. She tried to think of something to make her collect her thoughts.

She strained to take a look at John, to mentally note his appearance. He was tall, bulky, and scruffy looking. He had a thick brown beard that gave him a rustic look, just like many of the men JJ had seen from watching the colony from out her window. He was shorter than Tony, but also heavier and not nearly as well dressed. JJ hoped she could remember these things, not that she hadn't seen the man before, but it still wouldn't be easy if whenever she saw this man she was drugged.

Her head spun ferociously as they reached the bottom of the staircase and took a quick turn right. JJ felt her legs begin to give way, but John simply kept her leant against him and dragged her limp form the rest of the way.

"What did you…what…what did you…give me?" She asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

John remained quiet as they continued down the next hall. Finally, they stopped suddenly in front of a large, unmarked wooden door. The man used his free hand to knock once before turning the knob and entering.

The room was almost pitch black, and if JJ could flinch backwards to keep from being dragged into the room then she would have. The only light in the room was from a torch-like light on one of the side walls, and a projector-like screen facing straight ahead that was a dull, empty blue.

"Where…are we?" JJ asked as she was dragged to the dentist-like chair positioned in the middle of the room.

"_This_ is your classroom." John chuckled as he placed her in the chair. He watched her foggy eyes grow wide as he brought a leather strap around her left wrist.

While in JJ's mind she was fighting furiously, in reality she was limp and unflinching as her wrists and ankles were strapped into the chair. When John was done, he stepped back, and gave a small acknowledging nod to the woman in the room who until now had gone unnoticed.

"Who…who?" JJ stuttered, struggling with her words.

"_This_ is going to be your teacher. Her name is Camilla. At times, you may also see her husband Alex in here, but Camilla will be your primary teacher. She has learned many things from Alex, and the others, in her time here and she is more than equipped for the job." John smiled, eyeing Camilla.

JJ tried to make sense of it as she saw Camilla smile and nod appreciatively at John.

'Why would Camilla be given the task to teach her? Wasn't this considered a position of power? Only the men seemed to be in those positions. She must be well-trusted or have a high-standing to do this.' JJ thought to herself.

"You two have fun now. I'll be back by lunch." John smiled jovially. Stepping out, he closed the door behind him, leaving JJ alone with the woman.

"So you must be Jennifer. I have heard a lot about you. Including that you are one hell of a fighter." Camilla smiled as she looked down at the blonde.

"Well, no matter. I'm sure we can work through it. Don't worry, we aren't going to get rid of that fighter spirit you have, I know Tony likes it. We just need to get you to put it to a good, more productive use while you become assimilated into our nice little colony." Camilla said as she pulled up a chair beside JJ who eyed the woman warily from the corner of her eye.

"First things first. Normally I would be a bit more hospitable and have us get to know each other a little, but I know you are intoxicated by the drugs they gave you. So please, don't think I am being rude by simply getting down to it. I just think it would be a more efficient use of our time." Camilla explained.

JJ remained silent, sizing up the older woman before her. She had to be in her late forties. Her eyes looked dark, like a firm chocolate, but it was hard to tell with the poor lighting. She had pale white skin that clung tight to her thin, limber frame and helped to accentuate the curly, dark hair that fell to the woman's shoulders. Her lips were thin, her teeth still white, but it was well apparent that the woman had led a bit of a stressful life and that she was beginning to age. JJ groaned as she tried to turn her head to face the woman more straight on.

"Why am I here?" She asked dryly.

Camilla smiled in response.

"To learn, you know this. But, to be more specific, you are here to learn all about our nice colony. From the religious teachings, to what is expected of you and what your future role will be. Even, when we get to it, what Tony expects from you. That is, if he doesn't tell you beforehand; or if you don't completely figure it out by then. I've been told you're a smart girl." Camilla gazed down at JJ expectedly.

"I'm sorry…but I'm not interested." JJ answered. This earned a giggle from Camilla.

"Oh come on now! You aren't the least bit curious?"

"No I'm not."

"Well, that's a shame. Maybe you'll have a better attitude once we start."

"I doubt it."

Camilla ignored this last comment as she reached for the control to the projector. The screen went black, and then turned white, forcing JJ to squint as she saw the blurry writing on the slide.

"I know you can't see very well, but that's ok. How this works is, I say something, and you repeat it. It's pretty simple really." Camilla explained as JJ struggled with the light. "Now, let's start with an easy one… my name is Jennifer Jareau."

JJ turned to the woman, looking at her like she was crazy. Camilla continued to stare at the screen, waiting for JJ to repeat what she had said. After a silent moment had passed, she turned to the blonde.

"Come on Jennifer, repeat after me…my name is Jennifer Jareau." The woman said more firmly.

JJ licked her lips, trying to anticipate what would happen given the option of her choice to speak or not. Clearing her throat, she decided to speak.

"My name is Jennifer Jareau…"

"Good! Ok now…I am with Tony. He is our leader. His job is to lead the others in the colony to prosperity while spreading the good word of HIS teachings. He is to protect them, and me, from any undo harm. I am here to support him in any way I can." Camilla finished.

JJ eyed the woman, watching how easy and normal this seemed to be to her.

"Jennifer…please repeat." The woman reminded calmly after what must have been another long silence.

JJ clearly hesitated, but forced herself to repeat the words, slowly, word for word as best as she could remember them almost against her will.

"Good girl. My role in this colony is to support Tony and our other heroic leaders as they try to lead us out of the darkness and into the light. I have a responsibility to help lead the other women of this colony, and to teach our children the important lessons necessary in order to lead a rich, fulfilling, life."

JJ listened to the words carefully, trying her hardest to analyze what she was being made to say, although none of it really surprised her. She reminded herself that they were just words, that to her, they held no meaning. No matter how empty and sick it made her to say these things, even in her drugged up state, at least she could try to give the ruse that she was being compliant and actually 'learning'. It was better than subjecting herself to whatever punishment she may receive for being uncooperative.

"My role in this colony is…to support Tony…and our other heroic leaders…as they try to lead us…out of the darkness and into the light. I have a responsibility to…help lead the other women of this colony…and to teach our children the important lessons necessary in order to lead a rich, fulfilling life." She finished.

Camilla nodded her approval and continued. They continued like this for a while, how long, JJ couldn't be sure of. First she would repeat what Camilla said. Then she would be given some rules of the colony. Then, she would be made to repeat the colony 'creed' which happened to be almost an exact replica of what she had been made to type the day before. As they continued with one reading after another, JJ began to grow a little frustrated. She felt like she was being treated like a little kid, and the restraints essentially kept her stock-still facing forward at the bright screen.

"You're doing very well Jennifer." Camilla encouraged. "Now, let's go back and start again to make sure you have it. With any luck, you will be able to say everything back to me without any assistance before long." She smiled. JJ cringed at the idea.

"My name is Jennifer Jareau…" Camilla began evenly.

JJ pursed her lips together to keep from speaking. After a moment Camilla turned and looked at her.

"You can do it Jennifer. You've been on a roll so far."

JJ responded by shaking her head 'no' slowly from side to side.

"Do you remember what we've learned today Jennifer? To always show your counterparts the proper amount of respect. Please, be respectful enough to do as I ask." Camilla said, eyeing the woman. She could see the discontent in the woman's glazed eyes. The fighter was starting to reemerge again.

"One last chance." She warned, but JJ remained still, focusing her eyes up towards the dark ceiling. Camilla sighed.

"Ok, your choice. I have to say, I am almost surprised it took you this long. But, no matter we are here now." The dark-haired woman stood and walked over to a table covered in an assortment of objects that JJ couldn't make out. She came back with a thin strip of dark cloth. Gently, she lifted JJ's head and wrapped it around, tying it tightly, until the woman was blind-folded. JJ tried to fight the woman off, but the drug still had a complete hold on her body.

"Let's see if this works." Camilla said as she sat back down. "My name is Jennifer Jareau…"

JJ bit her lip, her chest rising and falling more quickly as she tried to remain calm amongst the darkness. Camilla repeated everything this time. Once, twice, three times. The words felt so close in the darkness, JJ could picture them floating around her as the sound hit her ears. Suddenly, they came towards her, one after another. They began to cling to her brain, taking hold. She could do nothing to stop them. The drug and the darkness were beginning to combine to create a potent mix in her brain.

'Ignore it, ignore it. Ignore her. You can do this.' She tried to encourage herself, but the words only became louder in her mind.

"Ok, Jennifer. I think it's time for our next part." Camilla leaned over and whispered after going through everything for the third time since the blind fold had been introduced. She saw the woman's chest hitch as her breath wafted onto the young woman's face.

"Repeat after me…I belong to Tony. I am here for Tony, in _every_ way. I am to obey him and follow what he asks of me…I will follow the leader. I will make Tony happy. I will comply with his wishes for me. I love Tony, very, very much."

JJ heard the words and flinched. She tried to tug at her wrists, but they barely moved enough to cause any strain to the leather.

"No…" She whispered finally.

"Jennifer, please repeat." Camilla scolded this time.

Taking a deep breath, JJ responded.

"I will not."

"Are you sure that is how you feel? Are you sure it wouldn't be a better idea to simply repeat the words?"

"No."

She heard Camilla sigh.

"Ok." The woman said as she stood again, the wooden chair grating loudly against the wooden floor.

There was a long silence before there was the sound of a loud rumbling coming from the far side of the room. It sounded like something heavy on wheels. The noise didn't stop until it was almost right next to the chair Camilla had been sitting in. JJ tried to focus on her breathing, to not show this woman fear even though her mind was running wild with what the heavy object could be.

"I didn't get to tell you, my husband Alex is a doctor here. You'll get to meet him eventually. The thing is, as John told you when we first met, I learned a great many things from my darling, sweet husband, as a result of assisting him and working by his side when he gets a little busy as will sometimes be the case."

JJ could sense the woman leaning over her once again and couldn't help but to hold her breath as she felt a finger lift her chin.

"Why is this important? You may be asking yourself. Well, you see, having done so has allowed me to learn how to operate some of his machinery, including this little gadget." Camilla said in an almost sing-song type of voice. JJ shakily let the breath out she had been holding as the finger left her chin.

"Don't touch me." She warned firmly when she felt the woman's hand grab a hold of her shirt, lifting it up to the middle of her torso.

"Now, now, let's not get nasty." The woman cooed, her hands now at the top of JJ's blouse.

"You're sick. You're all sick!" JJ spat as she felt the woman spread the top of her blouse open wider but leaving the buttons intact. This time, Camilla ignored her as she prepared the suction cups with some gel.

"Anyway, I know you can't see so I'll describe what this is to you. Essentially, it works a lot like a defibrillator, well sort of." Camilla began as she applied the first two suction cups to the top of JJ's chest. JJ flinched when the cool gel touched her skin, her breathing becoming more intense.

"What this nice little machine does is it sends a nice little electric shock through the electrodes I am attaching to your body. Every time you disobey, I press a little button that sends you what will become an increasingly more painful shock every time I dial this thing up. We'll start easy, but the less behaved you are, the worse it will get." Camilla said, brushing the hair away from JJ's forehead and applying two more electrodes to her forehead.

"You don't have to do this. I was kidnapped…I don't belong here." JJ tried, but her plea fell on deaf ears as the woman continued to talk.

"Now, usually, I know there are only four placed on the body, two on the chest and two on the head. However, I like to place two more on the lower belly and compensate by putting the machine on a lower electric level. I find it has a lot greater impact on getting someone to comply."

JJ's chest was rising furiously as she breathed hard through her nose to try to keep herself calm. She felt Camilla lightly brush her stomach as she placed the last two electrodes just above the waistband of her pants and just below her belly button on the more sensitive part of her stomach.

"You see, these last two believe it or not can be a lot more painful. They are near some pretty sensitive areas as I am sure you realize." Camilla finished, wiping the gel from her hands and sitting back down in her seat.

"Don't do this. I know you have a heart. I can get you out of here too, if that's what you want." JJ tried desperately.

"Two things you should know before we begin Jennifer. First, you may feel tingling and numbness, particularly in your extremities like your fingers and toes. That is normal and it will go away after some time. Second, while the room isn't sound proof, you are allowed to scream if it makes you feel better. We are in a relatively low foot-traffic area at this time of day. So, if you would like to strain your vocal cords while we're at it, please do." Camilla said coldly.

JJ felt sweat forming on her brow as she heard the dinned buzz of the machine being turned on. She bit her lip and held her breath in preparation of the first shock.

"Let's start again, repeat after me. I belong to Tony. I am here for Tony in every way."

JJ opened her mouth. She wanted to force herself to say the words, to avoid the impending pain, but deep down she couldn't bring herself to do it. A long, tense moment passed. JJ inhaled deeply right before she heard a loud 'beep'. Almost instantaneously electricity painfully shot through her, the dark blindfold lighting up in white stars in front of her as she gritted her teeth to keep from screaming. After about five seconds, the electricity ended and JJ's body stopped arching in the chair.

"Again. I belong to Tony…I am here for Tony in every way." Camilla said demandingly.

JJ pursed her lips and clenched her eyes shut, awaiting the next bout of punishment. She didn't have to wait long as another shot ran through her, jolting her body as she whimpered. When it ended, Camilla spoke the same words over again.

'Stay strong, don't give in now.' JJ consoled herself as she felt a tear trickle from the corner of her eye.

Her body was beginning to feel like it was on fire. Another shot of electricity coursed through her, numbing her extremities for good this time as she screamed out loud. JJ felt her weak muscles shaking as they began to uncontrollably spasm. She wasn't sure what was worse, the drugs or the shock therapy. She had an idea that if she weren't on the drugs, then this would've been ten times more painful, if that was even possible. She had no idea how she was going to be able to function after this. JJ drew in a shaking breath, sniffling as tears leaked down her cheeks from under the blindfold after the latest round of electricity.

"I really don't want to take this much higher Jennifer, especially because you are on drugs and doing so could have a pretty negative effect. But I will if I have to. You need to learn. All you have to do is obey, and say these simple words, it's not that hard. You can still save your skin from burn marks where the electrodes are located if you simply let down your pride right now." Camilla said, almost encouragingly as she gently brushed some hair from JJ's sweaty forehead.

"Please…" JJ croaked in a hoarse voice through uneven breaths.

"Repeat after me. I belong to Tony."

JJ licked her parched lips uncertainly. She _really_ didn't want to feel another jolt. What little she could feel of her body was already tingling and burning.

"Jennifer…" Camilla warned firmly, her thumb hovering over the button. JJ opened her mouth, taking another breath.

"I…uh…I…belong to Tony." She whispered, her voice wavering as she sniffled.

"Good…I am here for Tony in every way."

JJ paused again, choking back a sob. The fear of facing more electricity overwhelmed her sense of self. Her need to protect herself, to survive, outweighed the need to fight and to remain true to herself. She could sense that Camilla was about to press the button if she didn't say something _now_.

"Wait!"

Camilla paused, her thumb grazing the button that would electrocute the pretty blonde almost to death. Another couple more shots and her heart would be in danger of stopping. Tony wouldn't want this, but right now the blonde wasn't in her right mind. She surely was in no state of mind to realize this fact right now. She was solely focused on the torture at hand.

"I am…I am here for Tony…in every way." JJ continued quietly.

Camilla smiled. She gently pulled her hand away from the machine. She could tell by the imprisoned woman's body language that she had gotten through to her, that the fight, for now, was gone.

"I am to obey him and follow what he asks of me…I will follow the leader." JJ repeated the phrase in turn as well as the ones that followed, reaching the end.

"I…love Tony…very…very…much." JJ finished weakly, defeated.


	25. Eye Opener

**AN: Thank you to I-Wish-I-Had-A-Witty-Username, crazyobsession101, and Arwennicole for reviewing the last chapter!**

"Reid how are you feeling?" Emily asked as she looked up to greet Spencer and Morgan as they entered the room to join the others.

"It was just a graze, I'll be fine. How far have you gotten?" He asked as he took a seat at the table, set on focusing on the case rather than the team's worries about his condition.

"We looked through your notes and reviewed the tapes at the specific time stamps that you labeled. I would have to agree, the activities of both men, particularly the shorter one is suspicious." Rossi answered.

"The problem is he doesn't look familiar to any of us. As you can see on the tapes, he makes a concerted effort to stay out of our way." Emily added.

"Has anyone figured out why he was here in the first place?" Spencer asked hopefully.

"That was going to be our next step. Right now we were just finishing with the information we gathered from the electronics stores." Hotchner replied.

"And?" Spencer asked expectantly.

"Take a look for yourself." Hotchner pointed the controller at the TV and played the tape where they had it paused.

Spencer studied the grainy black and white tape intently as he saw a large man approach the front counter and put his items down. The man was about six foot-four and had to be at least two hundred and thirty pounds. He wasn't fat, but he was big and buff, a man who could potentially give Morgan a run for his money. His clothes were similar to that of the other two, rather rugged, almost cattle rancher-esque, yet his body measurements suggested he was a completely different man from the other two they had on the other tapes. If anything, he could very easily have been the man Brewer thought he had seen. Unfortunately, he was wearing a large-brimmed cowboy hat which he used to help keep his face shielded.

Spencer watched as the man pulled a wad of cash from his jeans, paid in full, and confidently strode from the building after he received his change. While the man's face was unreadable, his body language didn't suggest that he was nervous or stressed. He seemed completely normal. There wasn't a hint of what he was capable of or what he was about to do.

"Have we interviewed the cashier?" Spencer turned to Hotchner as the video continued to play.

"The officer who picked up the tapes did, yes. He took down a written statement." Hotchner said as he reached across the table to hand Reid the document.

"The cashier said the man acted completely nonchalant, friendly almost, although he kept his words to a minimum. He paid in cash, and left. It was a quick, simple meeting." Emily began to summarize.

"He said the man had a deep, heavy, voice that would be easy to distinguish. He had a bit of a weathered face, suggesting he spent a lot of time outside. Overall, he was well groomed and like everything else that we just described, he blends right in with the culture around here." Emily finished.

"Any idea on his age?" Morgan asked.

"According to the cashier, probably late thirties, maybe early forties." Rossi replied.

"He appears to be different than the two we pinpointed in the other video. It would suggest that we are indeed looking for a group of people; not just the two who took her." Reid said.

"We thought the same thing. It doesn't really lead us much farther than what we already have, but it does support the original profile that you developed." Hotchner acknowledged. "There is something else we found Reid." He continued, getting the man's attention. Hotchner nodded to Emily who stood and inserted a new tape.

"This is the street outside of the electronics store. The video is from outside of one of the nearby businesses." Hotchner explained as he played the tape.

The frame moved slowly, Spencer staring intently as nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be taking place. Suddenly, right when he was about to blink, a black SUV passed by on the screen. Spencer sat forward, the excitement building inside him just a little, as Hotchner froze the video with a clear shot at the front license plate.

"Damn Hotch, we have the plate?!" Morgan said what Spencer felt.

"We do." Hotchner nodded, his face remaining even. "We also were able to match it to the video of the trackers getting planted outside the precinct hours later. It's the same SUV."

"I thought we didn't have any video of the SUV?" Morgan questioned.

"We didn't, at least not until we received a tape from about half a block up the street from a traffic light. That video, we have a image of the man planting the trackers, getting into a waiting SUV off to the side, and then later, that SUV leaving it's spot right after JJ left the precinct with Brewer. We had Garcia zoom in as best we could and while blurry, it does appear to possess the same plates." Hotchner said as he showed Reid and Morgan the printed image of the zoomed in plates.

"Garcia ran the plates through the database, right?" Spencer said quickly.

"I just finished and got the results." Garcia replied on cue from her video image on the laptop Rossi had in front of him.

"Please tell me its good news." Emily said hopefully.

"Unfortunately, it's not. Those plates, it appears, were reported stolen six months ago." Garcia said with disappointment. Spencer sighed, rubbing his chin.

"I guess that's not a big surprise. Given these guys are likely repeat offenders. Stealing or acquiring stolen license plates is pretty small compared to kidnapping." Emily said dryly.

"Garcia, do we know where the plates were taken from?" Rossi asked.

"They were taken off a family car in Southern Colorado. It was part of a rash of reported missing plates at the time. According to the report I have, there were at least twenty reports of missing plates within the span of a few days and in about a five mile radius. Almost all of the reports suggest the plates were taken at night when nobody was around."

"Garcia can you send us those reports with a pinpointed map of the locations of where the plates were taken, as well as a list of the plate numbers?" Hotchner requested.

"Absolutely sir, it's on its way." Garcia said with a couple simple strikes of the keystroke.

"Do you think these guys are border jumpers Hotch?" Morgan asked.

"I think it's possible, but more than anything I think it's something we need to be aware of, in case the evidence points us to Colorado." He replied.

"I think it would be more likely they would be from somewhere else, like Oklahoma, and cross over to steal the plates and then come back." Emily said.

"I agree with Emily. However, if the plates are missing and someone local, like say from Oklahoma, is driving around on a daily basis with Colorado plates don't you think someone would notice?" Spencer noted.

"Unless they claimed to have moved from Colorado. Or they say they just purchased the vehicle they are driving from Colorado and they just haven't switched the plates yet." Morgan replied.

"True, but after a few weeks, or say months of this don't you think it would become suspicious? If they were to be pulled over or an officer happened to run the plates, the red flag that the plates were taken would show up immediately." Spencer concluded.

"So…what are you saying?" Morgan continued, a little confused.

"At some point, they would have to switch the plates again or switch back to their real plates. While not as prevalent as it used to be, stolen license plates are still relatively common." Spencer responded knowingly.

"But if they switched back to their original plates, no one would know unless it was a neighbor or someone close. " Emily spoke up.

"What are you suggesting Reid?" Hotchner cut in, trying to follow the man's logic.

"My hypothesis is maybe they don't use that SUV much. And, maybe, they live somewhere secluded where the plates would hardly be noticed. Everything we have so far, the form of dress, the fact that the unsubs are close to each other, the fact that they might have only a few neighbors who would notice their activities, suggests that perhaps they live on a farm or a ranch."

"So do you want me to search farms and ranches in western Oklahoma for any reports of problems or police activity?" Garcia spoke from the computer.

"It couldn't hurt. Reid's thinking has been spot on so far, who's to say he won't be right again." Rossi replied with a slight smile. Garcia agreed and signed off so she could get to work.

"That's a lot of area to cover." Emily said as she looked to the map they had on the wall. "But most ranches and farms out here have acres upon acres of land. There can't be more than a half-dozen to a dozen ranches and if Garcia does come back with something, you would have to think it would only be a handful of options." Emily concluded hopefully.

"If there is something going on at one of these places, if JJ is there, we will find her." Hotchner vowed.

"Can we pop the tape of the precinct back in? I want to see why that first guy, the smaller guy was here in the first place." Spencer spoke, determined to continue to push forward if they were indeed on a roll.

Emily grabbed the appropriate tape and put it in as Hotchner handed Spencer the remote. With the tape in, Spencer rewound it, watching the time pass backwards until they were passing the point of when the two men walked out of the precinct to head to the library. Spencer rewound about an hour further before he pressed play.

At first there was nothing. Then, after Spencer moved the tape forward a bit, he noticed a man sitting on a bench, reading off a clipboard and looking otherwise bored and agitated in the same breath. It wouldn't have been _that_ noticeable except the man had been sitting there for a while and a few moments later, another man, the familiar one, was brought into view by a police officer.

The room became noticeably tenser as everyone in the room sat forward and watched as the man from the bench stood to meet the other man and the officer. Nobody said a word as the smaller man retrieved his things as the other man passed in the paperwork. The team watched as the men seemed to exchange a few words, before walking past the bench and towards the end of the hall.

They disappeared for a moment, but Spencer continued to play the tape. About thirty seconds later a police officer, side by side with Hotchner and JJ, and followed by Morgan, Prentiss and Rossi, came into view, walking right by that same bench obliviously. Not even ten seconds later, less than thirty feet behind the team, the two men came back into view.

"Son of a bitch!" Morgan shouted, startling Spencer from his firm focus on the video.

"They were…they were right there! We walked right past them when we first got here and we didn't even notice!" Emily exclaimed with just as much astonishment.

"_That's_ when JJ first came into their consciousness. Look at the way that one is staring at us while the other hangs back unsurely." Rossi pointed out as he leaned forward. The others watched the video closely, seeing what Rossi saw.

"I think we have our leader of this group, and it's not the man doing all the dirty work." Hotchner replied firmly, reaching to grab the remote from Reid and pausing the video. They all leaned forward, studying the clearly-visible face that was frozen on the bottom of the screen.

"This is the man we need to profile. He is the one who wanted JJ. If we can catch these two suspects, they should lead us straight to JJ." Hotchner said with certainty.

/

Sometime later, JJ found herself back in Tony's room, laying on Tony's bed, facedown. The words she had heard, been made to say, still rung in her ears.

JJ lazily moved her eyes around the room, noticing that it was still light out so she couldn't have been unconscious for that long. The next thing she noticed was the wet spot on the pillow she was currently laying on. Using the great amount of energy it took for her to lift her head, she realized that it was a small pool of her own drool. Almost embarrassed, she brought her sleeve to her face and wiped any remnants away as she slowly rolled onto her back with a groan.

Everything felt tired, and sore. The light-headed fogginess that had plagued her was no longer present. Neither was most of the numbness, although her fingers and toes were still tingling. She felt lethargic, but in all honesty, she was surprised she didn't feel worse, especially more sore than she was currently feeling.

Reaching down, she lifted her shirt and looked down at her stomach. There were two round red circles where the electrodes had been placed, but they appeared to be fading. She had no doubt she had similar marks on her chest and head. Sighing deeply, she leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling as she fingered the hem of her shirt absently.

She wondered where Spence was, about how worried he had to be. She wondered if her team was close to finding her; if maybe, just perhaps, she was mere hours or minutes from her rescue. She knew the longer she stayed here, the worse her hell would become if she didn't conform to the others. Eventually, in order to survive, she may be forced to do just that. But for now, that was not an option. She still had more than enough hope, and faith, in Spence and her team.

JJ was startled from her thoughts by the sound of the lock giving way and the door creaking open. She quickly tugged her shirt back down and stretched her neck from the pillow so she could see who it was.

Unsurprisingly it was Tony, carrying a tray full of food. He glanced over at her, his face relatively neutral as he locked the door and brought the food to the table.

As he unpacked the food, her stomach began growling. The site of the food was a sudden reminder of how little food she had today. Couple that with throwing up some of the food she had last night and JJ found herself to be famished.

Almost ignoring that Tony was in the room, her eyes zeroed in on the food as she strained to sit up, her muscles still not cooperating fully. She had finally made it into a sitting position when he turned from what he was doing and saw her.

"Hey, let me help you." He rushed over, saying almost kindly.

JJ tried to shake him off as she gradually applied weight to her feet. She was almost in a fully standing position when her knees wobbled and gave way. Tony was expecting this and caught her easily.

"Let me help you. You went through a lot this morning. It's going to take some time for your body to bounce back." He said gently, carefully pulling her to him and wrapping a supporting arm around her waist.

He studied her for a moment, noticing the light red marks on her forehead and chest, and how lively her eyes looked even if her body language gave away that she felt exhausted.

"I see Camilla treated you to some shock therapy." He said as he lightly ran his finger over one of the marks on her forehead. "I was hoping that wouldn't be necessary but I have to say, Camilla knows what she's doing. She's very good." Tony said as he slowly helped JJ towards the couch.

"Oh yeah, she's a real angel." JJ mumbled, earning a light laugh from Tony.

"Don't worry; you should start feeling better in a while. The drugs should be completely out of your system in a couple hours and Camilla gave you some pain killers just before you passed out. With a little rest this afternoon you should just about be back to normal." Tony consoled, helping JJ take her seat on the couch.

"Gee, thanks. I can't wait." She said sarcastically.

Tony smiled a little, happy to see that she still hadn't lost that feistiness. He grabbed a sandwich, taking a careful bite and sitting back, watching JJ as she devoured her food. He had been sure to give her a bit extra, knowing she had very little to eat thus far and that wouldn't be good. He wanted to keep her healthy. He watched as she chewed quietly, her complete focus on the food in front of her.

JJ had a full, filling lunch. Most of the time, they were silent, the events from the morning still hanging over them like a cloud. When lunch was over Tony silently leaned over and kissed JJ on the cheek.

"I'll be back later tonight for dinner." He said, his finger lightly tracing the back of her hand. "I'm going to leave you untied. I'm hoping I can trust you. I think you've been through enough today." He offered, but JJ kept her head bowed, her eyes staring at the table in front of them.

"I brought you the newspaper and another document for you to type. Please, get some rest and see that it gets done by the time that I return." He said as he stood, leaving her sitting still on the couch.

JJ remained there, unmoving until she heard the door close and lock. She was relieved that Tony had left her alone, and in turn she hadn't provoked him. Taking a breath, she scanned the table until her eyes came across the newspaper. It wasn't the same one as she had read yesterday, she could already tell. She reached over the table and pounced on it, her eyes scanning the title and searching for a date. Sure enough, it was dated two days ago, just before she had been kidnapped.

JJ shuffled through the pages, telling herself she'd take the time to re-read some of the articles later. When she came upon the "around the country" section, her eyes fixated immediately on an article about her team's case. She froze a little, but forced herself to read it.

Why she tortured herself with this she didn't know. Maybe it was the only way she felt connected to the team, to Spence. Maybe it brought her happier memories, memories of actually working, of being around people she loved and who loved her. Whatever the reason, she read the article. As she reached the bottom, she froze, unable to read the line that followed the previous one. It was a quote. It was a quote from her, from her press conference.

'_We are confident we will find and apprehend the person responsible for this in a timely manner before there are any more victims. We encourage everyone to remain vigilante. This case will be solved shortly, and justice will be brought.'_

JJ felt disjointed as the flashback hit her, the words bringing her back to the outside of the precinct, to that moment, when she had confidently told the press that they had the case well in hand. Little did she know in just a few short hours _she _would become a case herself.

JJ put the paper down, her hands shaking. She felt lonely, she felt sick. The isolation, the inability to interact with anyone besides Tony on more than a very basic level was beginning to wear on her. She bent her head down into her chest and took slow, deep, calming breaths.

'I have to keep my head on straight. This is exactly what he wants. He wants to break me down so he can mold me into someone new. I need to focus on something else. Spence is coming.' JJ reminded herself.

After taking a few moments to give herself a pep talk, she decided it was time to type whatever it was Tony had for her. If she could get it out of the way now, she could rest her still exhausted body later. She was ready, she could do this.

Grabbing the manila folder, she took her time to stand shakily, as some of the strength slowly returned to her body. JJ was sure finally having a real, full meal, for the first time in hours would go a long way towards her recovery. Once the computer had loaded, she opened the folder for the first time.

Her face paled and her eyes froze on the words that were handwritten on the lined piece of paper. They were identical to the words she had been forced to say, the words that Camilla had tried to force into her head. As her eyes scanned the paper, taking in the words, she could hear the woman's voice in her ear.

'_My name is Jennifer Jareau…I love Tony very, very much.'_

For JJ this was the last straw. She could feel the electricity as it zapped through her all over again. The words repeated in her head over and over as she leaned her head down on the desk and began to silently cry.

'Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? Where are you Spence? Damn it!' A rush of angry frustration ran through her as JJ clutched at her scalp. It took all of her self-control to keep herself from grabbing the laptop and smashing it on the floor, or from grabbing the paper and ripping it up into tiny little pieces.

JJ stood, pacing furiously, ignoring her aching, shaking legs as the adrenaline produced from her anger coursed through her. She felt like she was losing her mind, like she was losing herself. She felt so lost as she paced, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't continue like this, she was too tired, too weak.

She had to type the words; every last one of them. She knew if she didn't then she would be punished and Tony would devise something else to torture her with. She had to detach herself from the situation, from the words, so that they wouldn't affect her; particularly the words that had felt so personal, the ones that had struck such fear deep inside of her that she had blocked them out of her consciousness until she had just seen them all over again. They were words that had made her current situation seem that much more real, that much direr. They were a foreboding of what was to come if she didn't escape, if she wasn't rescued soon.

Pressing a hand to her forehead, JJ brushed her hair back. She moved her fingers down, pinching the bridge of her nose in an effort to relieve some of the stress she felt.

Finally, after taking another deep huff of air, JJ moved back over to the desk and sat herself in the chair. Quickly, her fingers rushed over the keys in a practiced whirl as she typed the written words on the sheet of paper. Reaching the end, she came to the words she still hadn't faced. The words that caused her so much fear, the words she still didn't know how to deal with. Refusing to let them get inside her head and to take on a life of their own, JJ quickly forced herself to finish.

'_I love Tony very, very much. I will be a loving, loyal wife to him. I will help to love and nurture our future son together, and I will help him lead this colony as we continue to progress forward, giving all I have to offer, with all my heart.'_


	26. The Decision is Made

**AN: I apologize for taking so long in posting this chapter. Life is very busy and one of the few chances I had to post this weekend, I lost power while I was in the middle of doing just that. Thank you to Arwennicole, Alerria, muccia12, and crazyobsession101 for reviewing the previous chapter! Closing in on 100 reviews, WOW!**

Tony walked confidently into the private meeting room, unsurprised to see that all the key members of the group were already there waiting for him. They needed to know what his decision was on Jennifer Jareau; not that it was much of a decision for him. His mind had been made up _very _quickly.

"Tony, it's good to see you." Vern, an older, graying man of about fifty-five spoke as the room fell silent.

"Likewise you." Tony nodded with a short smile.

"As you know, we need your decision on what to do about the young lady you currently have in your possession." Vern continued from his seat at the front-right of the table, just off the head where Tony moved to sit.

"I don't think it's much of a decision, really. I like what she has to offer, both to me and potentially to this colony. She is staying. I've decided to keep her as my own." Tony said self-assuredly as the others stared back at him.

"You know how we feel about adding another outsider to the mix…especially seeing as you yourself were an outsider just a few years ago. It makes us a little uneasy." One of the others spoke.

"Not to mention she works for the government if I'm not mistaken." Another, slightly younger man added.

Tony sighed, knowing he was going to get the third degree about his decision. He came in knowing that he might have to sell some of the key members of the colony on this. However, he was confident, and prepared to do just that.

"Everybody here knows all about me. I'm not going to lie to you or mince words. _Did_ she work for the government? Yes. Is she an outsider? Of course. Is she strong-willed? Like heck she is…but that is just what we need." Tony responded back, the fire building behind his voice.

"It has not been a secret that this group has struggled for years, even before I came into the position of leader. Between government sanctions, the new way people live now, without regards to others or the teachings of their religion, there is no doubt that things have gotten harder, that things have changed. Further, we've struggled through an intense drought this year. The crops aren't what they usually are, and the cattle are dwindling. But through it all what is the one message that has always been preached? That _I_ have always preached? That God _provides._" Tony paused for effect, eyeing each person who sat at the table.

"We _will_ turn this around and once Jennifer Jareau is fully, capably, assimilated into our group, she will help us get there."

"What makes you so confident Tony? The girl has barely been here for two days. She's already at a disadvantage seeing as she is an outsider. She has so much to learn." The young man spoke again.

"I would have to agree with Rod, there are other capable choices you could have made, Tony. You could have at least picked someone from the colony. Just because this woman you picked has you physically attracted to her, doesn't make her the best choice." Vern spoke evenly.

"Listen. I didn't just pick this woman because she is gorgeous, although obviously that is a benefit. I picked this woman for her brain just as much as anything else. She is smart, she will pick up the teachings quickly once she is properly invested and motivated. Camilla has already done a good job beginning the process this morning. She has a witty tongue. She is good at making her point and convincing others that her way is the way to proceed. We need exactly that if we are to spread the teachings, or if we are to continue to try to cut deals in order to sell our crops in exchange for cattle. We all know how the last few cattle deals have failed." Tony pointed out, getting a few uneasy looks from some of the others.

When Tony finally thought he was beginning to make way in getting through to them, it was Paul, of all people, who spoke up.

"But Tony, she's a woman. You know it's the men who make the deals."

Tony froze for a second, shooting a dark look in the direction of Paul who simply held his stare in return.

"She's a strong woman. She's a physically and mentally trained woman. Even if she doesn't actually _make_ the deals, I am confident she can help us behind the scenes with the wording and some persuasion of such deals if need be." Tony eyed Paul darkly, daring him to speak again.

"But what's to say her training doesn't take? What's to say as soon as you cut her loose and give her some freedom she doesn't try to escape or sabotage the whole group?" Another man questioned, earning some murmurs of agreement.

"Well let's ask Camilla. Camilla, do you think she can be properly taught?" Tony turned to the woman, who was seated halfway down the table beside her husband Alex. Camilla visibly paused for a moment as if to consider her answer.

"Eventually, once some of her will has been broken and she accepts the fact that this is her new life? Then yes, absolutely."

"See? That's good enough for me." Tony's voice rose an octave.

"But Camilla the question isn't _if_, it's _how long_ will it take?" Paul spoke again. Tony glared at the man, almost warning him that he was treading on thin ice.

"It may take some time in all honesty. It took until she blacked out for her to get through the first session, not that it's overly surprising. But given her stubbornness, it will take more time than usual in all likelihood. I know I can do it, however…especially, if I can go at her without restrictions." Camilla glanced at Tony with her final words.

"Out of the question. I want her in one piece. I want her to be taught, but I don't want it to be at the loss of the woman that I brought here. I brought her here for a reason." Tony said as he leaned back in his chair a little.

"Tony, you have to be willing to give a little too. We already feel like we are taking a bit of a risk here all things considered." Vern reminded firmly.

"I will not have her physically harmed more than necessary. If anyone leaves any permanent mark on her it will be _me_. Is that understood?!" Tony said sharply, glaring around the table. "She is here for a reason. She _will_ learn given the proper time and patience."

"But why be patient when there were enough to choose from here?" The younger man questioned again.

"Because none of those women suited me! They were either too weak, or too shallow or too timid! They didn't have the fighting spirit that this one does! They weren't as smart or hard working as this one! Jennifer Jareau is just the woman that this colony needs, that _I _need!" Tony answered resoundingly.

"I know you all have your doubts, but I am telling you she is the one. There is a reason she just happened to walk into my life when I was in another state, down and desperate in my luck. We all know what would've happened. What we would've lost, what I would've lost if I couldn't find someone. Now I have. This wasn't done out of desperation, this was done out of knowing…out of the knowing that she is the one who belongs here. God showed her to me. I know this may be hard for some of you to accept, but give it time. I promise you will not regret it." Tony stopped to take a sip of water from the glass in front of him. He did it on purpose, giving the others a chance to process the words he had just set before them. With a sigh, Vern spoke.

"Tony, you know we can't exactly say _no_ to you. We just want to be sure you have considered everything, and that you have realized how uncomfortable the situation has made some of us. If she is the right one like you say she is, then I believe you and I'm sure that the rest of us, out of respect to you as our leader, will follow suit." Vern looked to the others receiving some confident nods, and others that were less so.

"Part of the point of waiting forty-eight hours with an outsider, as you know, is to be sure they are indeed what you are looking for. That is why you had to wait to have her. That is why she has yet to be introduced into the colony, officially. So that if there are any doubts or problems, they can be taken care of with the utmost secrecy and privacy. It limits any potential mess or damage that could be created. We wouldn't want the rest of the colony to lose its faith in you or us." Vern spoke somberly. Tony lifted his eyes to meet the older man's.

"I understand Vern. Really, I do. I am up on all of the teachings despite how busy I have been of late. I am confident in my choice. She is the right choice." Tony stared confidently at the man.

Vern studied him for a moment, searching his eyes for something. Having found what he must've been looking for, Vern looked away and turned to the others.

"Then it is settled. Ms. Jennifer Jareau will be introduced into the colony early tomorrow morning where she will officially begin the process of becoming one of us. There is a lot of work to be done to assure the ceremony is of proper standard. I know some of you may not fully be convinced, but let me assure you, _get convinced_." Vern warned darkly before continuing.

"What makes us strong is the mind of one. When we all get behind an idea and see it through to its completion; that is how we create our success. That is how we survived our problems before; whether they are the government, the land, the crops, or our own internal issues. We have survived through the Lord's will and through lending each other the support needed. If there are any more doubts or objections, let them speak now." Vern finished, eyeing each person as Tony followed suit.

"And what if Tony is wrong, and this doesn't work? What if someone comes to find her?" Paul's voice boomed from the back of the room.

Vern lifted his head so he could see Paul. He knew the man privately had issues with Tony, as well as a desire to take Tony's spot; a spot he knew Paul thought belonged to him. Vern pondered for a moment, a wry smile forming on the edge of his lips. Turning, he looked to Tony once more, the man looking a little more uncomfortable as he knew what Vern's answer would be.

"Then, we make the problem go away, for good."

/

The rest of the afternoon passed agonizingly slow for JJ. All she could think about was how much time was left on the mental clock she had created to keep herself sane. The problem was it was driving her insane. She couldn't stop thinking about her team, _praying_ that they were on their way. They were coming for her, they _had _to be.

For the rest of the afternoon she tried to stay calm, tried to stay focused, but she couldn't, she was jittery. She jumped at every noise she heard, her ears perking up in hopes that it was her team set to crash through the wooden door. Her senses were on high alert for her team's arrival. They were the best of the best, she kept reminding herself. They would save her from this hell.

She tried not to think of Spencer, how tired and beaten down he must look as he searched for her. She tried not to think about what would happen if they _didn't_ come. What the consequences would be if they didn't show up, another hellish night she would have to endure, no doubt worse than the previous ones as Tony's actions continued to escalate.

Instead she tried to clear her mind, thinking back to happier times; the glorious weekend she had just spent with Spence, _her _man. _He _knew how to treat her. He loved her unconditionally and didn't treat her like a piece of property. He would do anything for her and stop at nothing until she was brought home safe. She could rely on him.

Time slowly dragged on. Once the paper had been completed JJ had printed it out and tossed it into the folder without giving it a second look. Slamming the computer shut, she went over to the chair and dragged it back to the window. With nothing else to do, JJ found herself looking out that window, watching some of the others until it began to get dark and group by group they retired to the comfort of their homes.

The dark. Oh how she loathed it.

As she watched the sunset her heart began to beat more quickly. There was still no sign of her team. Tony would be back soon, anytime really.

JJ paced around the room nervously for a while. She didn't know for how long, but she was almost certain her path would be worn into the floor. When she couldn't take it anymore, when she thought she was going to go crazy or scream, she forced herself to sit.

She sat again, looking out into the darkness, watching as the sun set off in the distance, praying to see headlights on the horizon coming her way. This worked for a while, but soon she began to jiggle her leg nervously.

JJ forced herself to stand, to walk to the bathroom, to use said bathroom to try to distract herself. Nothing worked, she was going crazy.

She began to test all the drawers in every room, starting with the bathroom. She hoped against hope that maybe Tony had left something unlocked, maybe she could find something that would help her. The more drawers she tried, the more agitated she became. She let out a frustrated huff when she reached the kitchen and came away empty.

Running her hands through her hair, JJ returned to the main room. Her eyes were drawn to the window once more. The darkness seemed to be enveloping her, seeping into her subconscious, eating away at her.

Instinctively she turned on the lamp near the bed, an attempt to drown out the darkness that was setting in on her. She closed most of the curtains as it began to get cold, being sure to leave that one curtain open, her window of hope per chance. She thought about grabbing the lamp from the table and wielding it as a weapon when Tony returned. She even went so far as to try to lift it. The lamp was bolted down.

'_Of course it is.'_ JJ laughed at herself for being so silly, so naïve, so desperate. Of course Tony wouldn't forget something small like that.

Regardless, JJ was convinced there must be some point in the room where the integrity could be compromised and she could build a mode for escape. She began to feel along the walls, like a crazy person in a padded cell. She _was _becoming a crazy person in a cell. The combination of being isolated for so long with the idea of what the soon to be lost isolation would bring was driving her completely coo-coo. As she reached the end of the first wall she cursed out loud that she couldn't find anything. Not that she expected to. She thought about continuing onto the next wall, but decided against it. Doing so would only make things worse for her mental stability.

JJ sighed out loud, moving to the couch and plopping herself down in a heap. She had to calm down. She had to get her composure back so she could take on Tony when he returned.

'Where is Tony?' JJ couldn't tell what time it was, but as it was pitch black outside, she surmised it must be at least nine. She wasn't exactly hungry; the result of her big meal earlier and the stress she felt now.

'Why is he so late?' Not that she minded at all. She actually preferred it over the alternative even if she was going crazy.

'If it's nine, then I was taken almost forty-eight hours ago.' Her brain reminded her.

'Shut up, damn you! I'm not trying to make myself crazy. Saying things like that are only going to make it worse.' She chided herself.

'Where are you Spence? Please don't fail me right when I need you most. Hotch, David, Emily, Derek, Pen…where are you?_' _JJ wrapped her arms around herself, pulling her legs onto the couch as she laid out on it.

She was becoming tired, the boredom becoming too much, the exhaustion hitting her body hard. The stress, torture, lack of sleep from the previous night, and the hyperactivity from the last few hours were getting to her. Over the next few hours, JJ drifted in and out of a light sleep. She would wake abruptly when she heard the creak of the house settling, or she thought she heard the lock to the door. At one point she woke with a start when she could have sworn she heard Spence's voice, only to be deeply disappointed to find he wasn't there. As she drifted back once more, she could hear his encouraging voice in her head.

'_You can do this JJ, you will survive. You're one of the toughest people I know and I love you no matter what. Stay strong for me. I'll be there to help you as soon as I possibly can. Not a moment later, I promise. When I get you back, you'll never leave my arms again. And I promise I'll let you teach me how to dance no matter how long it takes. We'll go to the beach. We'll listen to the waves as we look at the stars in each other's arms. I'll tell you the name of every star before I kiss you just the way you like it. I will rescue you. Until then, I love you JJ, always remember that.' _JJ's lips turned up into a slight smile, the words of Spencer in her dream enough to comfort her just a bit.

/

Spencer wanted to keep working on the case. Damn how he wanted to keep working on the case. But it was getting late, and Hotchner insisted that they slept in shifts, just as they had the previous night. They had to stay as fresh as the allotted time during the day would let them; no matter how much closer they got to JJ or how much time had passed since her abduction.

'_Almost two whole days_.' Spencer's brain didn't hesitate to remind him. He had stayed focused on the case, even as the new leads and potentially a new big break had been presented to them.

Unfortunately, Prentiss and Rossi were almost back from the five hour rest they had agreed to take. Spencer knew he and Morgan would be next. He knew that while Hotch didn't know everything the nurse had said at the hospital, that Hotch was keeping Morgan close by as he knew best what was going on with the young genius.

What that meant was Morgan could very well stick to what the nurse had said, which was to be sure that Spencer took the sleeping pills. If he did, that meant at least seven hours of sleep. He would be knocked out, completely unable to fight off the effects of the drug and unable to wake on his own until he was at least somewhat rested or someone came and got him.

Sure, Morgan could come and get him after Morgan had slept his five hours, but they both knew Reid needed his rest. Further, if he woke early while on the pills, he was sure he would be groggy and out of it until he had pumped enough caffeine into his system to counteract the effects of the drug. It wasn't fair and it made him nervous. He wanted to give JJ all the time he could, to not be restricted because of some drug or a few choices words a nurse had said.

Spencer knew he could try to go to Hotch with his current conundrum, even if he wasn't fully honest about his current situation. But he knew that especially given that he had just been shot and had clearly not slept much in the past few days, that Hotch would easily side with Morgan. Spencer sighed as Rossi and Prentiss walked back into the room. They both looked tired from their short rest.

"We're back. Morgan and Reid, your turn." Emily said as she stifled a yawn.

"Give us a second; I want to look through this last page of the report." Spencer said as he stared intently at the new information they had received.

After watching the video, the part where the team entered the precinct for the first time, the group had kicked into action with new life. Hotchner had an image of the man sent to Garcia in hopes that she could identify him by running him through her database. Unfortunately she could not; he had no criminal record as far as they knew. They had made note of the man's features. His apparent height and weight, how he seemed to be dressed similar yet better than the other two men they had as suspects.

They watched more of the videos, trying to get every ounce of footage they had on the man so they could pick up on his mannerisms, his personality. The problem was, except for that first day, they had very little of the man. He remained hidden, letting the other two men handle his bidding for him.

Clearly he was the alpha male of the pack. He also seemed to be a little volatile at times if his interactions with the short man were of any indication. The fact that this man could snap so easily; that he could be verbally abusive suggested that he could also be physically abusive. While this wasn't really a surprise, Spencer still tried not to think about the fact that JJ could very easily be at this man's mercy.

Unable to identify the alpha, they had decided to switch gears as Rossi and Prentiss rested. Now, all Spencer could do is get them up to speed before he would be made to leave.

"Any luck on identifying our guys?" Rossi asked as he sat down with a cup of coffee.

"Not the first guy, but the second guy yes." Morgan replied.

"We went through the booking logs seeing as the shorter man was booked two days ago. His name is Cal Stevenson, of Santa Monica, California." Hotchner informed them.

"He's a little ways from home." Emily replied as she looked at the image Garcia had been able to pull as soon as they had given her the name.

"He was booked for apparently trying to steal cattle from a local rancher. In his written statement Cal claims he had a verbal agreement with the rancher to purchase the cows. He claimed that the purchase would be forthcoming in a couple days once he was satisfied with the quality of the cows. The rancher claims this was not the case and that Cal tried to pull a fast one on him. He was arrested, held overnight and booked. He's due in court in about a week." Spencer explained.

"Well, this is some good news. Do we know where he is staying? I'm assuming it's not California that would be a bit of a ways to go with cows." Emily said.

"We don't. It appears the California address is his last known address and its a few years old. According to the tenant at the building he lived, he left a few years ago, didn't say where he was going." Hotchner said.

"Doesn't he have to give a legitimate address on his processing papers, especially considering it's a legal document?" Emily questioned.

"He does, and he didn't. It appears he has been using the California address the whole time. The next time he shows up in court, _if _he shows up in court, we will be sure to get him for that too." Hotchner replied sternly.

"So the trail is cold then?" Rossi asked with disappointment.

"Not entirely. While we don't know where he is now, and we certainly can't wait a week for his court date, this isn't his first offense. Cal got into two similar disputes over cattle in the last two years. The first was in northern New Mexico, the other was in western Oklahoma, right near the borders of both Colorado and New Mexico. Garcia found that both of these disputes were later settled, relatively quickly, out of court." Morgan stated.

"Partly to blame for the bad address not being caught." Rossi said as he processed what Morgan told them.

"We located on the map where the three disputes took place. While we can't triangulate his possible location given that it doesn't form a triangle, given that two of these three incidents took place in Oklahoma, and the other was near Colorado, where we know license plates have gone missing, we are assuming he's either relatively local, or somewhere just across the border in either Colorado or maybe even New Mexico." Spencer summarized.

"So at least we have a general area to work with." Emily nodded.

"Exactly." Spencer confirmed.

"Do we have any more information on this guy? Do we know about his past, who he associates with, any relatives he might have so we can get a better picture of this guy?" Rossi asked.

"Garcia's working on that. She probably won't have any new information until the morning." Morgan said.

"We also have her tracking down the rancher who filed the charge against Cal Stevenson; we're hoping to interview him in the morning as well." Hotchner added.

"What about the other guy, the leader?" Emily asked after taking a sip of her own coffee.

"The name he signed to set Cal free was _Mark Anderson_ but Garcia can't find a picture through all the Mark Andersons that fits with the image we took off the tape. We're speculating that he might've used it as an alias." Spencer replied solemnly.

"Again, falsifying a public, legal document; just another charge we can hit him with." Morgan added.

"Didn't the officer who processed him ask for a valid ID?" Rossi asked incredulously.

"He did, and speaking with the officer he had what appeared to be a valid Oklahoman license." Spencer answered.

"Well either we can't find him or he got away with using a fake ID." Morgan sighed.

"Given what we know about these guys, their planning, a fake ID is hardly implausible." Spencer said as he shuffled through some papers. Hotchner looked at the young man, noticing how tired he looked and how hard he was obviously trying to hide it.

"Anyway, that is where we stand at the moment. Now that you two have returned, Morgan and Reid it's your turn. Go get some rest. We'll see you back here in a few hours." Hotchner ordered with finality in his voice that left no room for argument.

Morgan and Reid exchanged a glance, and Morgan nodded as they stood. Spencer neatened the stack of papers in front of him and then walked out, not bothering a glance back into the room where he had spent the last hours tediously going through every detail.

The ride back to the hotel was quiet, which Spencer was thankful for. He had made sure to eat again while Prentiss and Rossi were gone, adhering to the nurses rules while also trying to keep Derek off his back. He had to admit, eating a proper meal did give him more energy, even if it wasn't always plausible for him to do so. In this case it had been, not just to please Morgan, but also because Spencer knew a full stomach would weaken the effects of the sleeping pill a little.

Morgan parked the SUV and they made their way into the hotel room. They survived the tired silence of the elevator ride and in a few moments time, they stood in front of their side by side rooms. Spencer pulled out his key card and swiped it quickly. He entered and went to close it just as quickly when Morgan put his hand on the door to prevent it from shutting.

"Before you go to bed Reid, I need to be sure you take the sleeping pill." Morgan told him seriously. Spencer had been expecting this.

"Let me just change and get ready, and then I'll come get you through the bathroom." Spencer said, pointing to the adjoining bathroom that they shared. Morgan was visibly surprised that Reid caved so easily.

"I'm tired. I really don't feel like arguing. I just want to get this over with." Spencer said in a voice that held a hint of realized inevitability. Morgan gave a weak smile.

"If you don't get me in ten minutes I'm coming to find you." Morgan warned and Spencer showed his agreement.

Spencer quickly stripped down and changed into some more suitable clothes. When he was done, he quickly used the bathroom before preparing a glass of water and going to get Morgan. He tapped on the other bathroom door leading to Morgan's room and a moment later the door opened.

"Ready?" Spencer asked as he held the pill up in his hand.

"Go ahead." Morgan nodded.

Spencer tilted his head back and dropped the pill into his mouth. Without wasting time he leveled his head back evenly and lifted the glass of water to his lips, chugging a large gulp of water. When he had swallowed the water, he quickly opened his mouth, giving Morgan a very quick glance into his mouth.

"Satisfied?" Spencer asked tiredly.

Morgan hesitated a little, but not wanting to make a big deal out of it he agreed. He was too tired to get into a fight or question Reid's honesty, he trusted him.

"Goodnight Morgan." Spencer said, turning and walking back towards his room.

"Get some rest Reid." Morgan called after him.

He stood in the bathroom, waiting and watching until he saw the light in Reid's room shut off. He couldn't help but to feel for his friend. As Morgan finished getting ready for his own short rest, he could only hope that Reid would catch a break and find some peace, get the sleep that he so much deserved.

"Morgan?" Spencer called from the dark room.

"Yeah Reid?"

"Make sure you come get me before you head back."

"We'll see Reid." Morgan said noncommittally.

"I mean it Morgan. Don't let me sleep all day."

Morgan sighed and shook his head.

"After all this time, you still don't think I have your back." He said with a slight chuckle, ending the conversation and closing the bathroom door behind him.

Spencer stared at the ceiling, his eyelids becoming heavy. He knew when all this was over, that he would owe Morgan. Until then, he couldn't help but feel that, despite everything, he was lucky to have a friend like him. With that conclusion, Spencer's eyes closed and he fell into a dream-less sleep.

**AN: I know I made a bigger deal out of Spencer taking the pill than I should've, but I'm trying to push Spencer through the challenge that I created for him, and I'm trying to show that Morgan has his back. I **_**really**_** want to update again Wednesday, but the next chapter may need some work so it could be Saturday. Thank you all again for reading!**


	27. Attempted Conception

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole, Cribellate, Guest reviewer, and SW1984 for the great feedback to the last chapter! All this wonderful feedback from so many people, throughout this story, has really been encouraging and makes me feel a little more confident about posting this next chapter. It was incredibly challenging to write, and I'm not completely confident in posting it/how it came out.**

**Please be advised and use discretion when viewing this chapter, as there is strong content throughout. This is one of the darker chapters and it is definitely rated M. Please use caution, thank you.**

"_I'm sorry if you found that boring, I really didn't think that lecture would run as late as it did." Spencer said, desperately apologetic as he wrapped his arm around her waist, walking with her in stride. _

"_It's ok Spence, really. I found some of it to be rather interesting." JJ replied easily, not entirely upset but more than happy to move on to the next event planned for their day spent together. _

"_You did? Really?" He shot her a surprised look as they made their way through the double doors and into the cool, fresh air. _

"_Yeah. You were obviously completely ensconced." She chuckled, remembering how entranced he had looked as the professor lectured on the interactions of subatomic particles. If JJ hadn't known better, she could've sworn she was in the middle of something that was pulled directly out of the fictional show 'The Big Bang Theory'. Although obviously she had more brains than what would otherwise be her blonde likeness in the show. _

"_Of course! Particle physics are essential, they are the tiny pieces important to natural energy. Subatomic particles are everywhere and yet you can't see them. I'm just surprised you found it to be so interesting, the professor did ramble on incongruously at times." Spencer said as they walked down the concrete pathway, in the direction of their next destination. _

"_Some of it was boring, obviously. I'm not going to lie to you." JJ conceded. "But I'm also used to rambling, and I know how much this meant to you. I really did learn some things that I found interesting. I wouldn't say I'd go to one of these types of lectures on my own, but with you, knowing how much you enjoy them, yeah I would do it again. You do have to suffer through my sports and my shopping trips after all." She looked up and smiled at him, giving him a playful nudge with her shoulder. _

"_I'm just worried I'll bore you to tears. I know there are a lot of things you'd probably rather do with your time." Spencer replied less self-assuredly. _

"_Spence please, knock it off. I love YOU. Part of being in a relationship is being there for each other, exploring each other's interests. I knew this the moment we started this. If I didn't think I could handle it, or that I wouldn't want to be a part of this, part of your life, then I wouldn't have. You need to stop comparing yourself to my supposedly endless line of suitors who you think are better than you. I'm here to tell you, they aren't. I just want you…and everything that comes with it." JJ looked up into his brown eyes and smiled warmly. She could see by the way his face softened that her words had struck a chord, and that maybe, just maybe, she had made his heart melt just in the same manner that he had done for her countless times before through his thoughtful deeds. _

_Spencer pulled them to an abrupt stop and before JJ could react, he pressed his lips firmly, lovingly, to hers. The sudden public display of affection had caught her a little off guard, Spencer wasn't much for making out for all to see and generally JJ felt the same, but now, in this moment, they got lost in each other for that brief moment, as she kissed him back just as passionately. _

_When they broke for air, they both smiled happily. Glancing around them, nobody seemed to be paying them much mind, but both sets of cheeks flushed a little just the same, the sudden realization of what they had done in public striking them both. _

"_Do you still want to go to the zoo?" Spencer asked, surprisingly composed even after he had caught his breath. JJ's eyes brightened and her smile became wider. _

"_Of course! I've been looking forward to it all day. I'll even let you teach me some facts that are more advanced than what they put on the display plaques." She offered, lacing her fingers in between his long, thin ones as they resumed their walk. _

"_What makes you think I'll have anything relevant to say? Besides, I figure by now you're tired of being talked at after sitting through subatomic particles all morning." Spencer chuckled. _

"_I'm with you Spence, I'm used to being talked at." JJ smiled slyly. _

"_Wh-what? What is that supposed to mean?" He stuttered. _

_JJ loved it when he stuttered, to see him flustered; it was so cute. _

"_Nothing…" She replied sing-song like. _

"_Didn't sound like 'nothing'. Sounds like someone is trying to get into another war of words to see who is wittier." _

"_Not at all Spence, not at all." JJ cooed with a chuckle. _

"_I would hope not, because you know I would win." He said, giving her hand a firm squeeze while looking around them nonchalantly. _

"_Oh really? And exactly WHO is the media liaison again?" JJ scoffed. _

"_It doesn't mean you are wittier than I. You're just not as socially awkward as I am." Spencer offered. _

"_You have that right. At least you can admit it." JJ shot back._

"_A man knows when to admit his faults. At least I'm not too stubborn to see it." Spencer replied with another chuckle. _

_JJ felt a fire burning inside her as her competitive streak kicked in. She knew he was only being playful, giving back what she had dished out, but she wanted nothing more than to put him in his place. _

"_Stubborn am I? Ok Spencer Reid, challenge accepted. You have until we get to the zoo to prove me wrong." JJ squeezed his hand tightly as she set forth her challenge to him. _

_They continued like this, going back and forth with each other competitively, oblivious to their surroundings and lost in the comfort of being in the other's presence. _

/

The door to the room opened, but JJ didn't hear it. She was still fast asleep.

After Tony locked the door he searched out for her, the moment he had waited for so long had finally arrived. He was almost shaking with anticipation. It would take every bit of will power he had to not just take her in one quick, fell swoop. He wanted the buildup, the foreplay, at least some of it. He wanted them to both enjoy this if possible. However things turned out, he simply wanted her.

Tony spotted JJ's sleeping form on the couch and smiled. She was so beautiful when she slept. She looked so peaceful, even now.

Moving to the closet at the other side of the room, he pushed it open. In his hands were her new clothes, put neatly on hangers. He also held a couple of boxes and bags, containing a variety of shoes, boots, lingerie, and other goodies that he couldn't wait to see her in. Placing them neatly in the closet, he closed the door once more, vowing to show them to her first thing in the morning.

Tony crossed the room and opened his own closet, forcing himself to go about his normal routine, stripping off his boots, socks and shirt before closing it again. He made sure he brought the rope, just in case, although his preference was to leave her free, to wrestle with her until he felt the energy and control slip from her body. Until it gave him the power and control that he craved.

He pulled the belt out of his pants as he eyed her lustfully. He tossed the belt to the ground in a clatter, watching as her eyes shifted under their heavy lids just a little. He kicked the belt to the side, removing the temptation to use it on her. Tonight would be simple. It would be straight sex. She would understand once and for all that she belonged to him. The rest, the kink, the control games, could wait for another night. Tonight wasn't the night for that.

She was within his grasp now, but Tony resisted the temptation to touch her just yet. He had something better planned first.

Unlocking a drawer in the nearby desk, he pulled out a small, glass ashtray before relocking it. Placing it on the table in front of the couch, he turned and retrieved a chair, careful not to drag it against the hardwood floor. He didn't want to make too much noise and wake her yet.

Sitting in the chair, Tony sat forward as he pulled out his rolled paper stick, along with the lone match he brought to accompany it. While a lighter would have been more feasible, he didn't want to risk leaving it out unattended in a forgotten, clouded moment of lust for the feisty blonde to potentially access. He couldn't afford any errors, no matter how overwhelming the level of his desire had grown.

Striking the match, Tony pressed the rolled paper to his lips and inhaled as he lit the end. He took a deep, consuming, puff while waving his hand quickly to put out the match, placing it in the ashtray. Placing the stogie down in the ashtray carefully, Tony let the thick smoke linger in his mouth, the familiarity of the action relaxing him.

Slowly, lifting his head towards the ceiling, he let the breath out, allowing the smoke to fill the immediate area. When his lungs had cleared, Tony looked back down at his prize. He licked his lips as he eyed the strand of hair that had fallen across her pretty face, practically tickling her small nose.

His eyes travelled lower, to the opening of her blouse, imaging what those small, firm tits would taste like when he sucked on them. And that pussy, oh that pussy, how tight it was going to be, her firm little body clamping down tightly on his long, hard shaft. Tony groaned out loud, closing his eyes as he pictured her naked, making love to him.

When he reopened his eyes, his left hand had practically slipped itself into his pants to ease some of the tension he felt. Instead he forced it away, reaching again to take another hit of the delicious joint, content, for the moment, to simply watch his prize and bask in the things that were yet to come.

/

_They had made it to the zoo, and JJ grinned triumphantly as they approached the front entrance. _

"_How can you possibly think you won? Under what standard of rules are you the winner? The fact that you call yourself the winner is so subjective and so unfounded that it can't be backed by any solid evidence." Spencer practically whined, still incredulous that JJ truly thought that she had proved her level of wit to be superior to his own._

_JJ turned around sharply, unexpectedly, stopping them both in their tracks. _

"_Do you want to know WHY I'm the winner…Spence?" She hissed dangerously in an almost seductive tone. Spencer froze, his mouth hanging open loosely. _

"_Because I'M the woman in this relationship…and any smart man knows when it is wise to concede defeat." JJ pressed her body to his, her hips very briefly, seemingly accidental but obvious that it wasn't, grinding on his as her lips drew impossibly close to his own. _

_Just when Spencer felt a wave of shock and desire course through his body at the lustful look she gave him, she abruptly turned away and continued determinedly on her previous path. JJ could feel his eyes on her as she walked away, frozen in awe as she purchased their tickets and waved at him to come along, as if nothing had happened. When he slowly stumbled forward, JJ moved to him, a large grin plastered on her face. _

"_Don't tell me I melted your brain with that little move Spence." She giggled joyfully. _

_She grabbed his warm, firm hand and pulled him along. After a few moments and a few hits of the cool, fresh breeze, JJ could tell that he was more like his normal self again. Looking up into his eyes as they passed through the first few exhibits, JJ could see the look of appreciation and pride he had for her. It made her feel so warm, so loved, so wanted. That look, so simple and yet so hard to come by, was the exact reason why JJ was with him, and not any other man. It was a look that no other man had ever been able to provide her with. Sure some had tried, and maybe even a couple came close, but nobody compared to Spencer Reid, and that little moment was all the proof she needed. _

"_I love you." She moved to her tiptoes, whispering as her lips met his cheek. When she stepped back down to her normal stance, Spencer looked at her almost quizzically. _

"_I didn't want you to forget." She replied sheepishly, turning back to the flamingo exhibit they now stood in front of. She felt a chill run down her spine as he reached up and gently stroked her hair back. _

"_I could never forget JJ. As long as I live, I will do whatever it takes to always remind you of just how much I love you in return." He leaned down and planted his own kiss gently on her cheek. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world." _

_Their eyes met and before long, so did their lips in another gentle kiss. Continuing on through the zoo, JJ found it amazing that every time she spent time with this man, with her Spence, she had the feeling that she had never been happier. That she could never, ever, be happier in the presence of another person than she was with him. _

_Basking in the warm glow of the bubble that was her world, JJ was oblivious to her surrounding environment. She didn't notice the storm clouds gathering behind them, nor, the sudden change in the fresh air. She was too lost in the happiness of the memory of a few months prior. Too happy was she, to live the familiar déjà vu of that day in her dream. She didn't even realize she was dreaming, until finally the difference in the environment around her was too stark a contrast of what was normal for her brain not to ignore. _

_Her nose twitched instinctively at the sudden smell of smoke that invaded her nostrils, overwhelming her senses. The smoke was so thick, so overbearing, that she struggled to distinguish exactly what it was. Only when she had finally determined that it was neither a cigarette nor wood smoke, did she try to speak again._

"_Spence?" She asked, almost fearfully, but no response came. _

_The dream continued on, replaying that day as she remembered it, as if it were a runaway train on a track that could not be stopped. JJ opened her mouth to get her boyfriend's attention. Immediately another wave of smoke entered, this time through her mouth, causing JJ to cough furiously as she struggled to breathe. _

'_What is going on?' Her mind pleaded for an answer as her nose and mouth felt dry, like they were on fire. _

_Slowly, the edges of her world began to grow dark, gradually fading until it was completely enveloped. When she opened her eyes again, for real this time as a result of a coughing fit, JJ would find herself unprepared for what would readily meet her._

_/_

Tony watched intently as the blonde began to stir. Taking another puff, he wasted little time in blowing it out, slowly in a direct line, over her face. After sitting there for some time, Tony found himself to be very relaxed by the comforting presence of the smoke, and in quick order, so would she. The smoke always relaxed him, made him feel good, it took his edge off. And, knowing the feisty blonde, it would surely do the same for her; something that would result with both of them being content.

Gently, he brushed the stray lock of hair from her face, causing her to shift. She groaned as her eyes slowly opened, focusing on him as they adjusted to the shadows of the room. Tony could see in her eyes that she had hoped he was someone else, bringing a small chuckle from him.

"Time to wake up sleeping beauty." He spoke softly.

JJ shifted until she was sitting up, ignoring Tony as he sat forward.

"What time is it?" She asked with a yawn.

"It's a little after midnight. Sorry I'm back so late, I had to work late. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day." He explained, pushing the bottle of water on the table towards her as she began to cough again.

'Apparently she has virgin lungs.' Tony mused with a smile as he sucked in some more smoke. JJ visibly tensed at the mention of the time as she drank down some water.

'It's after midnight. The team still hasn't shown up. I've been missing more than forty-eight hours._' _

The time she had given herself was up_. _JJ tried to keep her emotions guarded, telling herself maybe her team hadn't made it yet, but they would eventually. She was still alive, which also told her this man had no intention of killing her, not that she really suspected that he had. Ignoring Tony as he blew another wave of smoke towards her, JJ tried to focus on the situation at the moment, and not the despair and uncertainty that threatened to creep into her mind.

"What is that?" JJ eyed the smoking cigarette-like object in Tony's hand, waving her hand back and forth in front of her face in an effort to chase some of the smoke away.

"Just a little something to make us both relax a little." Tony replied quietly.

JJ could smell the dry air all around her, there was no escaping it. She wasn't a narcotics expert, but she knew it was more than simply a normal cigarette. Tony stood from the chair and JJ watched him, her gaze unwavering as he circled the table. She swung her legs off the couch when he made it apparent he was going to sit beside her whether she moved them or not. Sitting close, the scent became impossibly stronger until it was literally all she could smell, all she could taste.

"Please, no more drugs." JJ whispered quietly, hoarsely, as she watched Tony inhale another whiff. He ignored her, closing his eyes as he slowly let the smoke out in a hard, straight line. Re-opening his eyes, he turned them back to the blonde and smiled.

"Oh but JJ, I know how much you like my drugs. Besides, this will help take the edge off the last batch you were given. They will help make you comfortable…make you feel good." He said as he brought his hand to the back of her head, his fingers gently digging into the back of her scalp. "Besides, we have limited time to smoke together. Unfortunately after tonight we won't have moments like this for a while."

JJ glared at him, feeling uncomfortable at the implication of his words and the feel of his fingers buried in her hair. Tony brought the joint back to his lips and inhaled deeply, this time with his eyes staring deep into JJ's. He forced her head forward, towards him, as her neck muscles tightened and strained in a failed attempt to keep her head where it was. His lips turned up slightly as he pulled the joint from his lips, his eyes never leaving her scared blues.

She wanted to fight him, but he felt superhumanly strong compared to how abnormally weak she felt. She had been through so much today. So many drugs, so much abuse, her body was exhausted, worn down from everything she had tried to fight through both physically and mentally. She was at an impossible disadvantage and she knew it. This was the end game Tony was playing to.

Tony's hand forced her head forward, until their lips were almost touching. Placing the lit joint carefully on the ash tray in front of them, he took his now free second hand and used it to forcefully roll JJ's bottom lip down with his thumb until her lips were sufficiently parted as she continued to struggle, punching at his chest. Using his body more effectively, he was able to pin her against the couch so that she couldn't escape him. With a shining gleam in his eye, he slowly blew the smoke out, first into her parted lips, then up her nostrils until her nose crinkled and she began to cough.

Tony smiled as he watched JJ close her eyes, her nose sniffling as it tried to adjust to the increased burning feeling the smoke had already created. Rubbing her scalp encouragingly, he wasted little time in grabbing the joint and taking another heavy puff. By the time JJ's eyes had reopened, he was repeating the process over.

After a couple more hits, the same routine repeated, he watched as JJ's head began to lull to the side, her body becoming less tense as the fight slowly seeped from her. When she finally revealed her eyes to him again they were more dull and distant.

Tony watched with satisfaction as they lazily glanced from one side of the room to the other unfocusedly. Whether she wanted to or not, he knew she wouldn't be putting up much of a fight from this moment on. She was too weak, too high, to have the energy to fight him. She was going to be fully available to him and there was a chance in Tony's mind that, just maybe, she would enjoy what was to come as much as he would in their mutually relaxed state.

"Tony…" She gasped quietly as his fingers massaged her scalp.

"Yes my love?" He questioned calmly. His hand played with her hair, puffing it out with his fingers, pushing it in all directions.

"Tony…" JJ said again, unable to focus enough to say what she wanted.

"Look at you JJ…you're high as a kite." He chuckled, moving in and pressing his lips to her cheek.

"No…no…I'm not…" She tried to argue, her eyes closing again as his fingers continued to tease wisps of her hair.

"You look so beautiful…so relaxed…" He whispered sensually to her. His fingers moved from the back of her head to the top, then down the side and behind her left ear. JJ's once groomed hair was now thoroughly tangled and mussed, with strands sticking out and flowing in all different directions. To Tony, she looked like a thorough, hot mess.

"It's a good thing you're with me and not on the job…they would have your ass in a minute for being this high." He chuckled, giving JJ's hair a gentle tug so she would open her eyes for him again.

"It's a good thing _I_ have your ass instead." He laughed again, his free hand sliding between the couch cushion and her bruised bottom to give it a firm, owning squeeze. Tony leaned over, sticking his tongue out and lightly running it over the edge of JJ's parted lips.

"You feel good…don't you? Certainly more relaxed…" He encouraged her for an answer, his fingers moving from her bottom and dancing up her back.

"Yes…" JJ conceded with a gasp of what could've been construed as pleasure.

"Good. Because now…JJ…it's time for you to return the favor." Tony smiled broadly.

"What's for dinner?" She asked disconnectedly, her voice cracking just a little as she stared straight ahead. Tony's hand paused, moving to her shoulder, and she could hear him take a breath.

"No dinner tonight, honey. It's getting kind of late and you had a big lunch. It's not good to eat too late." He said, watching as her shoulders sagged a little in disappointment.

"I do have something else in mind, however." Tony said coolly, grabbing JJ by the wrist and forcing her to her feet. She stood a little unevenly, feeling a sudden rush of vertigo at the quick movement.

JJ looked at him with great discomfort. She didn't know _exactly_ what he had in mind, but she could come up with a few ideas that probably weren't far off, even in her current state. She tried to look away, her eyes just now noticing that he was only wearing pants.

'When did that happen?' She asked herself as she felt a little like she was floating. Her body felt limp, almost numb by how relaxed she found herself.

Tony brought his hand under her chin, turning her back to him. He brought his lips to hers and began the process of tasting her. JJ tried to resist, her breathing becoming more ragged, as she was slowly guided toward the bed. Breaking the kiss Tony smiled, his eyes dark and lustful, his pupils dilated.

"I brought you some new clothes. I'll show them to you first thing in the morning." He said in a heavy voice.

JJ kept quiet, trying her hardest not to cringe as he kissed her cheek gently. Despite her current physical state, and decreasing mental state, buried deep inside her head JJ's consciousness was warning her of the danger brought on by the unwanted contact. Tony slowly worked his way down her face to her neck. He licked her pulse point before lightly pinching the skin between his teeth. He held her wrists tightly together in one of his big hands when she weakly tried to push him away.

"Not tonight, Jay-Jay." He whispered into her throat.

"I'm really tired." She lied hopefully with a quiet gasp.

"There'll be plenty of time to sleep later." He answered, his lips dipping lower.

"I don't…" she stopped herself when he paused at her words.

"Yes…Jay-Jay?" He hissed out, his warm breath fanning over her collarbone.

"Nothing." She choked out after a moment.

She didn't know what to do. Could she endure another night of this? If she fought him and didn't do what he wanted he'd only make things worse for her, especially after the morning's events. Could she fight him? Her body felt so relaxed, like she was on cloud nine. Everything he was doing to her actually felt kind of good, even if deep down she knew it was so wrong. She shifted her eyes down to his neck, looking for the key but surprised to find it wasn't there.

'_Crap, it must be in his pants.' _JJ cringed. If she were to try again she'd have to wait until they were in bed, and hope that for once he left her untied, although she knew that wasn't very likely.

As Tony kissed down her chest towards her breasts, his lips sucking as they went, she tried to gently wiggle one of her hands free from his grasp. If she could get a hand free while he was distracted with her, maybe she could dip it into his pocket if she dared.

"Stop wiggling." He told her, the tip of his nose edging between her breasts.

"Maybe we could talk...You never told me how your day was." JJ tried something else, desperate to find anything that would distract him. He laughed into her chest in response.

"Maybe another time. Tonight is all about this, _us._" Tony lifted his face and smiled, noticing for the first time that the red marks from the electrodes were hardly visible.

Pushing her hair back he gave her another kiss. When the kiss broke he dropped her wrists. JJ was caught surprised by this. But before she could try to do something with her sudden freedom he grabbed her. Clutching either side of her blouse in his hands, he gave a quick, hard, yank. JJ gasped as her blouse ripped open, the quiet air filled with the sound of the buttons popping off the fabric and hitting the floor.

"What are you…" She tried but he thrust himself on her before she could finish.

His mouth devoured hers dominantly as his hands pushed her shirt down her arms. JJ pressed her hands to his stomach, a vain attempt to push him off her. Her body was jolted and she whimpered into his mouth when Tony roughly yanked her pants open. JJ shivered at the feel of the cool air hitting her bare legs. Desperate, JJ forced her hand into one of his pockets. Her heart dropped when she didn't find a key.

"I hid it." He broke the kiss to say with a smile. "I knew you'd try. There's no escaping this, JJ. Tonight you will _truly _belong to me."

His fingers made quick work of the back clasp on her bra, and she gasped again as his fingers snapped one bra strap, then the other. JJ tried desperately to cover herself as the destroyed bra shifted off her chest.

"Don't look so sad, you won't need your old clothes anymore, you can wear the ones I bought you now." He said happily, turning and pushing her another step towards the bed.

"Come on now…JJ…let me see you." He encouraged, his hands gently peeling her fingers away from her chest. The bra fell to the floor and JJ looked away as Tony stared at her naked breasts. Lovingly, Tony brought her small hand up to his mouth and gave it a soft kiss.

"You are a thing of beauty JJ." He groaned as his eyes fixated on her.

"Don't…"

"JJ…" he warned. "Just enjoy the moment."

Tony gave her a firm push backward, causing JJ to lose her balance and fall onto the bed. He climbed on top of her, laying his body across hers as she struggled meekly beneath him. Her brain was telling her to fight full bore, reminding her what was going to happen if she didn't. But it was like her brain was unattached to the rest of her body. Her body hardly responded to her if it did at all; it responded more to _him._

"I don't want you…" She breathed her final true act of defiance before she would inevitably become his.

Tony got her hands under control, holding them together in one of his hands once again, and pinning them above her head, leaving JJ's body prone.

"Sure you do…at least you will…trust me it'll feel so much better…" Tony cooed, rolling one of her breasts in his hand, his fingers twisting her nipple until it hardened.

"Your body is just so…_responsive_…to me." He taunted as his hand did the same to her other breast in an attempt to further stimulate her. Lowering his mouth, JJ whimpered when he wrapped his mouth around one of the peaks.

"I hate you…I don't belong to you…I will never…ahh!" She cried out as he bit down on her nipple firmly.

"I warned you Jay-Jay…you know I make good on my threats. Stop hurting yourself and allow yourself to enjoy this." He whispered, bringing his mouth back up into her neck, his nose nuzzling her hair. JJ opened her eyes when she felt the familiar feel of the rope being tied around her hands.

"I know, I'm sorry. But I can't hold you like that all night. And I can't risk forgetting about you and having you wander around the room while I'm asleep, _if _I sleep." He smiled, stroking her cheek once he had tied her wrists to the familiar spot on the bed post.

With her body now available to him, Tony wasted little time exploring her with his hands. His cool fingers traced light, gentle patterns on her goose pimpled skin. He cupped her cheeks. He traced her collarbone. He trailed down to her breasts, circling, squeezing and teasing them. He moved lower, tracing her ribs as JJ arched her back in vain. Reaching the last rib, he pressed on her firm stomach, stopping to trace her navel. JJ shuddered as she felt his hands move to her sides and grip her hips.

"I love you so much…Jay-Jay. I can't wait to show you…just…how much…" Tony whispered as his fingers inched down the waistband of her panties.

JJ closed her eyes, knowing no matter how relaxed her body was, how much she may appear to enjoy this physically, mentally it was a scar she may never be able to overcome. Deep down, she knew what this could potentially mean for her, to her future. She could try, but she would never be the same again. She would never _quite _be the same woman Spencer fell in love with.

"Let go of yourself…Jay-Jay…" Tony whispered into her ear. "It's just you and me now…let's enjoy each other…to the fullest." He coaxed as he prepared himself over her waiting body.

The body, the woman, he had waited so long for was finally his.

**AN: Well, there it is, sorry JJ. I'm not sure if alternating between happy and dark scenes made this chapter easier to handle, or if it simply made it even more painful and emotional. I can tell you that writing this part was a challenge. I have no problem writing love and sex scenes, but obviously this doesn't qualify as that. This is something different and something I truly struggled with. I actually cut some of it down as I didn't like the way it read. Any details some may find it to be lacking, you the reader can fill in on your own. I almost skipped over this part entirely and left it completely implied, but I felt it would take too much away from the emotional side of the story. All thoughts, comments, suggestions are welcome as always, and thank you for reading!**


	28. Fading Hope

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole, Cribellate, the two Guest reviewers and muccia12 for taking the time to provide feedback to the last chapter. More warnings for this chapter in regards to some of the content in the first half. I have to say writing some of this really was depressing. I can't wait to get back towards some lighter subject matter, maybe. Looking back I can see why I had to take breaks from this. Anyway, this chapter is a bit shorter, however, I plan to update again Wednesday in celebration of the season 8 premiere. This chapter has JJ AND Reid parts, the next chapter will likely be ALL JJ, and the one after there **_**may **_**finally be a big case revelation I know many are waiting for. **

JJ lay staring at the ceiling, her body limp. It was morning, she could tell by the lightening contrasts in the surrounding room. It made little difference to her however, to JJ it was still night.

She was still in hell. She hadn't slept at all the previous night. Her time had been spent having her entire body unwontedly ravished. For a while she was able to cope, perhaps it was from the assistance of what Tony had forced her to inhale, causing her to experience some demented form of pleasure in what he was making her participate in. However as the night droned on the drug wore off, and when Tony had finally, mercifully, become too tired, she had been left to her thoughts, reliving everything that had happened over and over no matter how hard she tried not to.

Before she knew it, he was awake again, and her nightmare had continued. JJ's will to fight was slowly fading. She tried to remain strong, repeating the mantra 'don't let him break you', over and over in her mind. At first the voice in her head was loud and motivating. But as time passed and her hell went from bad to worse, the voice became more quiet and distant. She felt so empty, so used and worthless. She had never felt as helpless and vulnerable as she had in the previous few hours.

Almost on cue JJ hissed and closed her eyes responsively. The feeling of rough sandpaper, his five o'clock shadow, on her sensitive thighs was too much to ignore.

She balled her hands into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms as she tried not to cry out. Her eyes were tempted to look down, to the movement beneath the sheet, but she forced herself not too, it would simply add material for her nightmares.

JJ tried to bite her lip, but her strangled whimper still permeated the quiet air as his mouth continued to do wicked things to her body. She felt like throwing up, especially when Tony chuckled into her, doubling his efforts in response to her reaction. JJ felt the all too familiar build up. She tried to kick him, unsuccessfully, when she felt something warm, wet, and velvety touch her too intimately.

"Be good, Jennifer." He mumbled as he continued.

JJ squeezed her eyes shut, her body beginning to shake. She would've cried freely if she hadn't already run out of tears after Tony fell asleep earlier. When she couldn't take it anymore, JJ involuntarily groaned as her body betrayed her as it had so many times the last couple days.

As she tried to get a hold of her breathing, the physical and mental pain became almost too much. She was ready to give up. She felt beyond sick. She was losing the person she was, the person she _knew,_ if she hadn't lost it already.

'No! I can't let that happen. I _won't _let that happen. I'm Jennifer Jareau and no matter what this son of a bitch tries to do to me, I _will _remain strong and persevere.' She chided herself.

After a couple moments had passed, JJ felt movement as Tony's lips slowly kissed a trail up her body. She forced herself to open her eyes, to face him head on. She wanted to put on the best front she could, for herself, even if she knew it was futile and her eyes no doubt conveyed how defeated she felt.

Gradually, his head began to peak from under the sheet at the top of her chest. When he had kissed up to her collarbone, he looked up, his gleaming eyes meeting hers. He smiled, which only served to make JJ feel that much more repulsed.

In one quick movement Tony pressed his lips to hers, his tongue forcing its way between her swollen lips. JJ's body convulsed and she gagged a little at what he tasted like. His lips were moist, too moist, and he no longer tasted like mint. His breath was stale, and impossibly more nauseating. She tried to press her neck farther into the pillow, to get away from the taste that made her so sick, but again found herself at his mercy.

Finally, the kiss broke. Tony kept his eyes locked on hers, noticing how her cheeks were no longer flushed and had actually paled some. His hand squeezed her breast, his thumb teasing her nipple.

"Good morning, my little sex kitten." He purred cheerfully as JJ remained silent, questioning whether she should hold back the bile or just let it loose right there all over the bed.

"You were, _are_, so perfect. I definitely made the right choice in you JJ. Last night was _very_ enjoyable. You didn't disappoint at all, and I was very happy to see that for the most part, you took my suggestion. It was for the best." He continued, ignoring how sick, disgusted, and almost broken she looked.

Tony was too happy, too blissful from the last few hours to truly notice. She had been everything he had expected. He could have her in bed all day if time would allow it. He already couldn't wait for their next tryst.

"I…can I use the bathroom?" JJ choked out hoarsely, her voice speaking actual words for the first time in a while. Tony smiled, pushing her tangled hair behind her ear.

"Absolutely. Take a shower too while you're at it, you've _earned it_." He chuckled, reaching up and untying her from the bed.

He walked with her to the bathroom doorway, admiring her naked body as she stood before him. JJ barely noticed her state at first, but when she did, she gave only a half-hearted attempt to cover herself with her hands. A couple steps into the bathroom, she turned to shut the door, her other hand wrapped across her breasts.

"Breakfast will be waiting for you when you come out…as will your outfit for today."

JJ briefly met his eyes. She stifled the urge to snap back with an 'oh, great' comment. Instead, she barely lifted her head in a nod as she closed the door. With Tony's face finally out of her line of vision, JJ bolted straight for the toilet, and began to retch.

/

Spencer Reid was roused from a deep, dreamless sleep at the feel of someone gently shaking his shoulder.

"Reid, get up man." Morgan's voice encouraged him to open his eyes.

Groaning, Spencer turned onto his back as he slowly forced his weighted eyelids open. He immediately brought his hands to them, rubbing them, to rid himself of the initial blurriness he was experiencing. After taking a deep, waking breath, Spencer brought his eyes to Morgan.

"Morning, how do you feel buddy?" Morgan asked kindly as he stood over him, holding two fresh cups of coffee. Spencer took a moment to take stock of himself before he replied.

"Rested." He answered honestly.

It was true. While he still didn't feel like himself and he felt groggy as all hell at the present moment, he felt more rested than he had in days. The throbbing in his head felt like a distant memory, and he felt confident that after a cup of coffee or two he would be thinking as clearly as he had been since this whole hellacious experience had begun. He felt a little more relaxed, even if he was still worried sick over JJ.

'_JJ'. _At the mention of her name in his subconscious, Spencer sat forward quickly, kicking the covers from his body in the process.

"Morgan what time is it?" He asked nervously as he met his friend's eyes. Leaning forward, Morgan handed Spencer a cup of coffee which he quickly accepted.

"It's just after seven." He replied firmly. Spencer's mind quickly calculated what the stated time meant as he took his first sip of the coffee.

"Seven?! That means I was out for almost eight hours. I need to get up. We need to get going!" Spencer spoke hurriedly, placing the coffee off to the side on the bedside table as he moved to stand.

"Whoa, take it easy there genius. Don't hurt yourself getting out of bed." Morgan moved to help him, noticing how the young man grimaced when he absently put too much weight on his wounded arm.

"We need to hurry up. We need to be briefed so we can…" Spencer moved to continue when Morgan abruptly stopped him.

"Relax Reid, I've already been briefed and I can fill you in on the way." Morgan somewhat explained.

Spencer froze in his place and glared at Morgan when he thought through what the man had said.

"_You've_ already been briefed? I thought I asked you to wake me up before you went back to the precinct." Spencer glared at him accusatorily.

"Hey, hey, take it easy. I didn't go anywhere. I called the station and spoke to Prentiss and she filled me in on the details." Morgan said with his hand up, deflecting any argument Spencer might start with him.

"And what did she say? Talk to me through the door, fill me in now." Spencer practically ordered as he moved to the bathroom, shutting the door.

"Can you hear me?" Morgan asked through the door, the sound of running water meeting his ears.

"Of course, please start talking." Spencer replied as he rushed through his early morning routine. Morgan sighed, relenting after taking another sip of coffee.

"Well, for starters Garcia's search on criminal activity at local ranches came back pretty empty. Obviously she got a hit on those two ranches where they reported getting into a dispute with Cal Stevenson. However, beyond that, there really wasn't any suspicious activity related to the case."

"What about suspicious activity unrelated to the case? We don't want to over look anything. Just because something looks clean doesn't mean it always is." Spencer reminded.

"Reid, it's clean, trust me. Garcia searched them extensively. Right now we don't want to waste our time chasing false leads, or going after something when nothing is there to begin with, they checked out." Morgan assured him.

"What else then?"

"Well, Prentiss and Rossi tried to contact the ranch that had the latest dispute with Stevenson, but it was late and they didn't receive a response. Right now, they have moved on to the other ranch on the Oklahoma border that had a dispute, to try to get information on what happened and exactly what type of deal was cut to let Stevenson off."

"Are they driving there?" Spencer asked a little worriedly, knowing how long that could take them.

"They're in the process of hiring a helicopter pilot to see if they can drop in that way, should save them a couple of hours at least."

"And Hotch, where is he?" Spencer asked as he shut off the water and reentered the room.

"He came back here an hour ago to try and catch some rest from what Prentiss said."

"So no one is checking on the most recent ranch?"

"Like I said, we haven't received a response from them yet. Rossi suggested we could go check it out if you were up to it." Morgan let the option linger. Spencer turned and eyed Morgan as if he should have any doubts.

"Of course I'm up to it. What else are we going to do anyway?" Spencer said, opening the closet door.

"Hey, I'm just making sure. The last two times we went somewhere things didn't exactly go well or according to plan." Morgan reminded him.

"Morgan, I'm fine. I feel more rested than I have the last few days, my nerves are better. My arm only aches a bit. I think I can handle this, especially for JJ."

"Alright, but the usual rules apply."

Grabbing some clothes, Spencer turned to glare at Morgan.

"When am I going to stop being treated with kid gloves? I'm a grown man if you haven't forgotten."

"The gloves come off when I can trust you fully again. And don't even try to argue with me on this, I've had your back countless times through this thing. If anything, you owe me." Morgan answered a little shortly.

Spencer grabbed the coffee mug off the table near the bed and took another sip. He used the momentary pause it gave him to push down his frustration and the unwise retort that threatened to leave his lips.

"Fine." He conceded simply. "Is there anything else they told you?"

Morgan turned his back to the young man, taking another sip of his coffee as his friend began to change his clothes.

"A couple of odds and ends. First, Garcia sent the map of where the plate robberies took place. As we already know, they took place right near where Colorado, Oklahoma, and New Mexico all intersect. As I'm sure you can figure out, all the criminal activity and points of interest we have suggest that JJ is somewhere west of us. Where exactly, and in which state we still aren't sure." Morgan said.

"Unfortunately." Spencer mumbled quietly.

"Second, the team researched farther into Cal Stevenson's personal history. Growing up he was primarily a loaner, in and out of minor trouble, adopted by an uncle at the age of fourteen after his parents died in a car accident. The uncle who adopted him appears to be the only family that has had contact with him in recent years, but even that ended when Cal left Santa Monica and seemingly disappeared."

"It's pretty easy to disappear if you work as a farmhand on a secluded ranch." Spencer replied.

"It would appear so, if that is indeed what happened."

"So do we have a full profile on Cal?" Spencer asked as he buttoned his shirt with practiced efficiency.

"The profile, if our information is accurate, is that Cal is submissive, he is a follower. He causes trouble, but generally it is at the doing of someone else and then he takes the fall. He never really had a sense of direction, which according to his uncle, would frustrate Cal growing up. That, and the loss of his parents so abruptly. Cal had few close personal connections before he left his old life behind. Few close, if any, intimate relationships, again he was a loaner. His grades in school were average at best which basically describes the life he left behind too." Morgan summarized.

"What about the trouble he got into? Did he exhibit any violent tendencies or have any mental problems that may suggest psychosis?" Spencer questioned as he finished adjusting his cardigan.

"Nothing at all. He was never violent. He dabbled in drugs a little, he was busted for stealing a few times, but that's it. He appears to be pretty even-keeled. If anything, his background suggests he could be the one behind the stolen license plates. He's witty enough to talk his way out, generally, excluding the failed attempts at the ranches he was caught at. He's not smart per se, but he's witty."

"I'm guessing the few times he's been in trouble for stealing cattle were the few instances things didn't go his way. They weren't the only times he tried to take the cattle, they were the outliers, the only times that he was actually unsuccessful. You can turn around now." Spencer finished.

Morgan turned around on cue, seeing that Spencer was indeed fully dressed and ready.

"I would tend to agree with you. This guy is practiced. Probably part of the reason why the so called _leader_ we are looking for leaned on him so many times to do this, and why _he_ was the one to bail Cal out. Cal was too valuable for the man to lose, especially if it meant grabbing JJ later."

Spencer nodded, downing the rest of his coffee in one swift gulp.

"That's everything then? We should get going."

Morgan paused for a moment, retracing everything he had heard and then transferred to Reid.

"Yeah, I think so, although there was one other thing Prentiss mentioned, although it's hardly as important at this point, basically a dead end." Morgan dismissed.

"And what would that be?" Spencer asked curiously.

"Garcia tracked our two known unsubs back to the place they were staying at through extensive searches of surveillance cameras in the immediate area."

"And?"

"They checked into the hotel across the street from us. They signed in the same night we arrived, and they checked out early the same day that JJ disappeared, paying in cash."

"So they watched her even away from the precinct. Also, given that they weren't previously signed in at a hotel, it suggests that as soon as Cal was bailed out they had the intention of returning home, until they changed their minds, after seeing JJ." Spencer thought out loud.

"It looks like it." Morgan replied.

"We couldn't get anything else from that? They didn't leave any clues or evidence behind?" Spencer questioned.

"None, Hotch had the police search the room as soon as he found out. Housekeeping had already been through and cleaned all the sheets and towels. A local CSI unit black-lighted the room for prints, but it was swept clean. These guys were very careful." Morgan explained as Spencer visibly pondered all of this information. His eyes lifted when a question came to mind.

"What was the name they used to check in? Was it the same alias, _Mark Anderson_, as the one used at the precinct?" Spencer watched as Morgan's lips turned down into a frown.

"It was not, and that's where it gets even more…crazy, I guess."

"Why is that?"

"Because they used the name _Aaron Hotchner_." Morgan said quietly, watching as the realization hit Reid.

"What…? How did they…?"

"I don't know. But I guess they somehow got his name and decided to use it…use it as a way of taunting us." Morgan said sardonically.

"They knew more about us than we thought. I bet Hotch wasn't too happy."

"Let's just say that, according to Prentiss, it really got under his skin. He was none too pleased." Morgan replied.

"Can't say I blame him. The more I find out about these guys, the angrier I get too."

"Well let's channel that anger into something more productive, shall we? Let's get going." Morgan suggested, wrapping his arm around Spencer's shoulder and leading him through the door and out into the hallway.

**AN: I know this chapter might have been a bit…eh. Unfortunately I needed a little 'filler' to get from one point to the next. I cut the original Reid part (which was probably written a bit better) because I found it a bit too repetitive. Next chapter up very soon.**


	29. Another Losing Battle

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole, kc, crazyobsession101, Scarlet wren, and marcallie for reviewing the last chapter. You're all awesome!**

**I'm excited that season 8 is finally here! Even more so after finding out that at some point this year JJ will be going undercover! Can't wait to see that. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

A long time passed before JJ had been able to regain the courage to leave the bathroom and face Tony again. Her time spent in the bathroom had been filled with dark thoughts; whether it was what had already happened, or what the day had yet to bring. She could only imagine what Tony was going to dress her in, what he was going to do to her, today.

She pulled the door open slowly, almost timidly, using her free hand to keep the towel wrapped around her naked body protectively pressed to her chest. JJ glanced around the room cautiously, her down, wet locks slapping the backs of her shoulders and glued to the sides of her face as she turned her head. For the time being, there was no sign of Tony, although she could hear movement coming from the other room.

JJ wanted to move, to do _something_, but her legs refused to work. She didn't know if she was just tired, or if her brain had forced her body to truly give up. Even twenty-four hours ago she would have been frantically searching the room for some sort of leverage that she could use against Tony.

The problem was she knew there wasn't anything. She knew this for a fact. She had already tried the few options she had been presented with. So far none of them had worked, instead serving only to increase her torture. That, and the last twenty-four hours had been pure hell, unlike anything that she had ever experienced before in her life. She felt defeated, even if deep down, she still refused to acknowledge the fact. Deep down, her will to fight, although withered, still remained.

JJ continued to stand awkwardly in the middle of the room, alone, her eyes staring blankly into the distance. She barely noticed when Tony reentered the room, carrying a plate of food from the kitchen. Placing the tray down on the table, he turned to the blonde, looking at her almost worriedly as she looked so distant.

"You look refreshed." He spoke softly, lovingly, as he placed his hands on the sides of her head and leaned down, placing a soft kiss on the woman's forehead.

Gently, he took JJ's hand and led her to the couch. Silently, they ate a large, filling breakfast. JJ hadn't felt much like eating despite her stomach being empty, but a little coaxing from Tony was all it took for her to comply. Before she knew it, the food was gone and Tony had cleaned up as she simply remained slouched on the couch in her damp towel.

"I have something to show you my dear." Tony said quietly.

He stood behind her, his hands on her unflinching shoulders. He slowly traced his fingertips down JJ's arm until his fingers were entwined with hers as he circled around the near-side of the couch. He gave a firm tug, pulling the petite woman to her feet.

Wordlessly Tony led her to the far closet. _Her closet_. His large hand remained wrapped around JJ's small, delicate one, as he used his right hand to pull the closet doors open. JJ's dull eyes lifted a little, becoming wider as she began to register the clothes in the closet. She let out an audible gasp as her blue eyes jumped from one hangar to another.

"Do you like?" Tony asked as his finger traced the palm of her hand.

"I don't…I don't understand." JJ stuttered, her voice sounding quiet and weak as she spoke for one of the few times all morning.

"I thought you might like these…well, most of these. You see, despite what you may think…I truly do love you…for you." Tony smiled. He had dropped JJ's hand to her side and now stood behind her, massaging her bare shoulders.

JJ had truly been caught off guard by this development. She didn't know whether to be happy, or completely repulsed. In the closet hung a variety of clothes. There was a pair of dresses, one very fancy and one casual. Moving down the line, there hung a pair of fairly nice jeans, shorts, a pair of sweatpants, a couple of casual sweaters, and a couple of casual short sleeve shirts and tank tops. All of this was surprisingly normal, and for the most part not far from what she would normally wear on a day off given the situation.

Moving her eyes to the second half of the closet, JJ's eyes lingered on what had been the true source of her surprise. Hanging on hangars were professional clothes of different colors, much like what she would wear to work. She counted at least two pairs of dress slacks, skirts, and button-down blouses, and even a suit jacket. JJ was utterly surprised and confused.

"I still don't understand…the others aren't…" She began, finding her voice again.

"Aren't you." Tony finished, pressing his lips to her shoulder. JJ's eyes looked to the floor of the closet, noticing a couple pairs of dress flats and a pair of more casual-looking shoes and sandals.

"This all looks rather expensive." JJ attempted, her mind still reeling.

"It's all worth it for you…to have you looking your best." He complimented. "As I said before JJ, I want _you_. I don't want to change everything about you. I want _us_ to be happy." Tony kissed her shoulder again.

JJ bit her lip in order to void what threatened to be a snarky reply about how he would never have her, no matter how hard he tried. He could try as hard as he liked. He could try to take her identity, choice parts of it anyway. He could try to dress her up, steal away her mind, forcefully take her body, but deep down he would never truly have _all_ of her. This was a vow JJ was determined to keep, even if it was deep down, hidden beneath the external layers of who Tony was trying to shape her into.

"Won't I stand out from the others? Nobody else, maybe besides you, is dressed likewise to this."

"I want you to stand out. I want everyone to know who you belong to." Tony said, circling her with a happy gleam in his eye. Their eyes met for a brief moment, until Tony turned away and leaned down to retrieve a large bag that sat on the floor of the closet.

"As for the rest of your clothes…" He lifted the bag and held it in front of JJ, just out of her reach. Meeting her eyes, he continued.

"I tried to compromise a little." He explained as his hand dove into the bag. His hand came out a moment later, holding a pair of underwear that surprisingly didn't look too bad. They were much like the ones Tony had ripped from her body the previous night.

"I bought some pairs that would be more to your comfort and liking." He explained, happy to see almost a relieved, appreciative look in JJ's eyes. Dropping the simple, white panties back into the bag his hand dove in towards the other side, lifting up when the search was successful.

"And…I bought some that would be more to my liking." He said with a smile, holding a small, barely-there thong for JJ to appraise.

"You know, for special occasions…or days when I feel it's more appropriate." Tony said with a wide grin, the double meaning of his words not lost on either of them. He saw the disgusted look on JJ's face, causing his smile to drop a little.

"Just to spice things up a little Jennifer. I won't make you wear them every day. I had more of your kind purchased anyway." He assured her as he placed the bag back in its place on the floor in the closet. Closing the closet doors, he turned back to her.

"For today, I have a particularly special outfit that has already been laid out on the bed for you." Tony explained as he turned JJ around.

Her eyes immediately found the bed, her eyes locked onto the blue, fancy, strapless dress that was laid out on it. The deep shade of blue would compliment her eyes nicely as it was darker than her light blue, but lighter than a navy blue. Lying next to it, was a matching pair of decent black underwear, and fancy black heels. She didn't know how she had missed the sight before, likely because she had been trying to avoid the bed at all costs, but the temptation for JJ to lunge for the heels and wield them as a weapon was almost too much. Tony read the confused look on JJ's face at the choice of outfit.

"I'm sure you have questions, so let me explain." He said as he turned her back to facing him.

"Today is a big day, a special occasion." He started, his eyes staring into hers as JJ confidently held her gaze on him.

"Today, you finally get to leave this room to participate in a special ceremony." Tony lifted his hand, lightly caressing her soft cheek with the back of his hand.

"You will get to meet some of the others from the colony. And you will be inducted…as one of us." He leant in to claim JJ's puffy lips between his.

She froze, letting him taste her as she thought about what this all meant. Would this finally be the chance to escape that she had been looking for? If she played her cards right, could she perhaps find someone else who was there against their will like her? Someone to maybe, just maybe, help her? The kiss broke and JJ lifted her eyes to Tony's.

"Sara is going to come and help you get ready, I'll go get her." Tony told her, releasing her hands from his as he stepped out for a moment.

JJ took a couple steps closer to the bed. She lifted the dress from the bed, running the satin-like material through her fingers. Holding it up to her body, she was happy to see that it wouldn't be overly revealing even if it did look as though it would fit her kind of tightly. The length of the dress would be fine, falling well below her knees.

JJ set the dress down, glancing past the underwear and to the heels. Picking one up she held it in her small hand, rotating it around as she inspected the heel. She felt the pace of her heart quicken as she considered what to do with it.

'Do I have the courage to try this again?' JJ asked herself.

Her heart skipped a beat. She swore she could hear it thumping in the quiet room as she heard footsteps approaching from down the hall. She had to make her decision now; there wasn't any time to waste. She could hear the door knob turning, she was out of time.

Remembering everything that had happened to her, both as a result of her corresponding actions and inactions, JJ closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Praying she wouldn't later regret her actions, JJ gently placed the shoe back on the bed beside its partner. The door to the room whipped open. Tony strode in confidently with Sara not far behind.

"Ok Jennifer, same routine as before. You can get dressed, but if you take too long Sara will take over for you. As for the rest, Sara _will_ take care of that for you." He explained while glancing to Sara.

"The rest?" JJ asked uncertainly.

"Yes…your hair and make-up. As I told you before, this is a special occasion." Tony smiled as he reclaimed her hands in his. Spinning JJ around, her back was now to Sara, and the open door.

"And just as a reminder, JJ, I _do _love you…_very much_." He said seductively, pulling her to him for a deep, passionate kiss.

JJ could suddenly hear a new set of heavy footsteps approaching. She tried to turn, but Tony's grip on her was too firm. As Tony sucked on her lip, JJ jumped at the familiar feel of a needle plunging into the back of her shoulder. She whimpered into Tony's mouth as she tried to wrestle herself free.

Feeling the liquid eject into her body, JJ's struggles slowed and Tony pulled away from the kiss. Immediately JJ whipped her head around, watching as John left the room, empty needle in hand.

"What did you do?!" JJ yelled at him, horrified.

"I'm sorry my dear, but it was necessary. You didn't think I would actually let you out, especially in a moment as big as this, completely lucid did you?"

JJ glared at him, her face turning a different shade of red out of anger, rather than the previous flush her cheeks had held.

"You son of a bitch!" JJ yelled, her anger overwhelming her. She reared back and in a move that caught Tony off guard, she slapped him hard across the cheek.

Tony brought his hand up to his cheek, rubbing it lightly as he shifted his jaw around. While her hands were small and delicate compared to his large, powerful ones, she had still hit him hard enough to make his skin tingle. He turned to look at her, surprise marking his features when JJ attacked again.

She brought her leg up and kicked out at him as she growled, not caring that she was still just wearing a towel. She was disappointed that she missed his jewels, again, but she was still satisfied that she had made contact with his gut. Tony bent back, the wind knocked out of him.

With the afforded space, JJ made a dive for the shoes on the bed. Her small fingers wrapped around the strap to one, and she pulled it into her hand. She had made her decision after all, she was going to fight. She pointed the heel out and raised it up, reaching back to strike Tony across the face with it.

JJ moved to bring her arm down, when she was surprised by the weak, delicate grip that suddenly incased her wrist. Turning, she saw out of the corner of her eye that it was Sara.

'So much for us women sticking together.' JJ thought ruefully.

JJ could tell that the woman wasn't very strong, that she could easily overpower the girl. JJ paused her movement, catching Sara by surprise. Then, in a quick sudden move, JJ tugged hard and did a half-spin, ripping her wrist out of the woman's grip, spinning Sara around, and kicking her in the leg. The woman yelped as she crashed painfully to the floor. JJ turned, her eyes searching out for Tony.

Unfortunately, although Sara hadn't been nearly strong or skilled enough to stop her, she had distracted JJ long enough for Tony to recover a bit. He dived at JJ hard, football tackling her onto the mattress, barely missing the dress, and effectively knocking the shoe out of the blonde's grasp.

"No!" JJ wailed, craning her neck enough to watch as the shoe flew off the end of the bed and onto the floor.

JJ turned her head, looking back down to Tony who had her pinned, his face on level with her stomach, his arms wrapped tightly around her frame and squeezing the air from her lungs. Not willing to give up just yet, even as she was beginning to feel weak from the drug, JJ kicked again, catching Tony in the thigh. She kicked again and again, using one foot, then the other, then both. She tried anything she could to keep him away from her, to make one more mad dash towards potential freedom.

Tony was too big, too strong however. JJ's kicks, while solid from her strong, toned legs, weren't a match for him. They mostly served merely as an annoyance. Tired of the games and no longer willing to simply wait the drug out, Tony sprung on the offensive.

He didn't want to hit her, he really didn't want to raise a hand to her, but she was leaving little choice. Bringing an open hand back, he reached up and smacked her cheek, careful not to bruise her if he could help it.

The move obviously surprised JJ, as she paused her movements for a moment. As if it finally occurred to her what had happened, she let out another ferocious growl and lashed out at him, reaching up to pound his broad chest with her small fists.

Tony huffed, becoming increasingly tired of the games, as much as he loved a good fight. Taking note that JJ had left her midsection exposed, he brought his fist down and firmly made contact with her flat stomach. The air visibly rushed from JJ's lungs as she gasped in surprise.

"You just won't learn, will you? I admire your strength JJ, but enough is enough."

"Fuck you. You drugged me again!" She spat back with an angry glare, resuming her kicking motion.

"I did, because I still can't trust you to be a good girl. I would really work on that if I were you, the more times I have to dose you, the more likely you are to become dependent on it in the future." Tony warned ominously.

JJ refused to let him scare her, to feel intimidated, as she lashed out and kicked him again, enraging Tony further.

"You want to do this the hard way? You want to try and embarrass me? Well two can play this game!" Tony hollered, reaching down and ripping at the towel around JJ's body with such force that it nearly flipped her onto her stomach.

The towel began to give way when instinctually JJ moved to cover herself with her hands. This gave Tony all the time he needed to gain an overpowering advantage on her. He steadied himself on the bed, half-climbing onto JJ until she was completely immobile beneath him.

JJ blinked hard, gasping for breath and staring straight up to the ceiling, knowing that she had once again lost. Tony positioned her hands so they were both gripped firmly in one of his hands. With the other, Tony painfully grabbed a handful of damp hair at the front of JJ's scalp. He tugged on it, forcing her to look at him as pained tears began to well up in her eyes.

"You are very determined to make this as hard as possible, now aren't you?" He asked firmly. JJ simply eyed him quietly in return.

"At some point, you will give up. You will learn that it's better for you to just accept this, accept me." He continued.

Tony shifted, his hips rising so they more firmly covered hers. JJ winced at the feel of the towel chaffing against her sore, bruising skin.

"Now, the question is, should I punish you now, or make you wait until tonight?" Tony eyed her threateningly as he held her stiffly in place.

After a long, tense moment passed, he finally let go of her scalp. JJ lifted her eyes to his, her lids beginning to feel heavy, her vision acquiring the familiar murkiness as the drug began to hit her with more force.

"I think tonight will be better, more appropriate. It'll be more private and you'll have more time to make it up to me. Who knows, maybe we'll even play a game or two." Tony smirked mirthlessly as he climbed from the bed and stood.

JJ's diming wits immediately alerted her that the towel had ridden up; nearly exposing her to whomever else may be present in the room. She needed to cover herself more appropriately. Reaching over with a heavy arm, almost in slow motion, her fingers found the underwear that was laid out for her.

Tony watched with amusement as she struggled, almost pathetically so, to pull the garments over her lady parts in a quick manner from beneath the towel. After taking a few more moments of pleasure from watching her, he turned to Sara.

"Help her out and make sure she's ready. We just wasted whatever extra time we had with that little stunt. I won't have her being late to her own party."

Sara turned and watched the woman, almost timidly, as she remembered how quickly the blonde had taken her down. Reading her worry, Tony spoke again.

"Don't worry; she won't be a threat anymore. The drugs have her under control now, you're safe." He glanced back over to JJ, watching as she struggled to clasp her bra.

A small smile gracing his lips, a sense of victory again flowing through him, Tony turned and left the girls to themselves.

**AN: Do you hate Tony enough yet? He seems to always win doesn't he? IF his luck changes, it'll make the payoff all the more sweet I guess! This chapter may have seemed a little repetitive, but after all I put JJ through the last few chapters, I wanted to show that deep down, she's still JJ. The story should move forward more from here. Thank you again for reading!**


	30. Breakthrough

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole, IwKa, crazyobsession101, Scarlett Wren, Alerria, kc, Guest, and cm-fan for reviewing the last chapter. As one of you noted, there is a little resemblance between Tony and the unsub from "Minimal Loss". While it's been a while since I saw that episode and I am a little rusty on the details, the idea for this story actually was inspired very loosely off that episode. Thank you all for the great feedback!**

**Also, to return the favor of Arwennicole's kindness, please check out her story "There's Always Hope" for all of you who still enjoy reading JJ/Reid stories. It's well-written and a good read!**

Morgan and Reid arrived at the ranch in little more than half an hour's time. While Guymon had a bit of a wide jurisdiction, the ranch was located not far on the outskirts of town, making it surprisingly easy for the two agents to get to.

As Morgan slowly pulled up the main passageway and towards the house, Spencer looked out the window and took in the surrounding area. He could make out the barn in the distance, beyond the fenced off area where most of the cattle were allowed to roam through the increasingly browning grass. Off to the side of that, closer to the barn, was a pig sty from what Spencer could see as they got closer. Throughout the vast area, there were also a few horses, sheep, as well as a variety of different crops off to the left.

Pulling to a stop, both men unbuckled their seatbelts and prepared their approach to the house. The place certainly didn't look empty, and it was definitely more inviting than the old place they had caught Gordon at the previous day. Still, no one came to greet them when they arrived, something that always made both men feel a little less comfortable.

Stepping out of their SUV, both agents took a better look around. In the distance, off near the barn, Spencer could see a group of men working. Morgan followed his gaze and saw them too. When Spencer took a step to walk towards them, Morgan put his arm out to stop him.

"Let's go to the house first. It's closer and it'll give us a chance to more formerly introduce ourselves. I don't think it'd be a good idea to storm in like we own the place."

Spencer nodded his agreement, following Morgan up the front steps and onto the porch. Carefully, Morgan reached out and gently knocked on the door. They waited for a moment, both looking around the property a little anxiously until they heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching the door.

"Yes, may I help you?" A feminine voice called through the screen door that now separated them.

"Yes hi, I'm Agent Morgan, this is Agent Reid, and we're with the FBI." Morgan began with an introduction.

The woman's face dropped a little, suggesting she felt uneasy by their presence. While this certainly wasn't uncommon, it was still something worth monitoring.

"FBI? What could the FBI want with us?" The woman questioned a little nervously.

Spencer studied the woman for a moment. Noting her age and appearance, he hypothesized that she was the housewife to the owner of this ranch. She likely had at least a couple of children; at least one would be older, in his mid to late teens. They were simple people, at least that was the appearance they gave, and the presence of 'outsiders' let alone the FBI would be enough to startle anyone who lived such a simple, secluded life.

"We don't mean to startle you ma'am, we just have a couple of questions for your husband in regards to the man he had arrested for trying to steal cattle from this ranch. Would he be around?" Spencer said kindly and calmly. The woman's features relaxed a little, but she was still obviously tense.

"Uh, yeah, he should be around. I think he's near the barn with some of the other laborers. This is one of his busier times of the day, so I don't know how much time he can give you." The woman began to explain.

"We don't expect to be too long miss, just a few basic questions we have in regards to the incident." Morgan replied.

"I'm sorry if it appears we showed up unannounced, however we did call ahead." Spencer added.

The woman nodded her head in confirmation.

"Yes, I told Henry about your message this morning, he told me he would take care of it when he had the time. I think as far as he's concerned, whatever the issue was has now been resolved."

Morgan and Reid exchanged glances at this comment, wondering if the woman had just dropped them some sort of hint, or if she were simply trying to make them disappear.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have something baking that I must attend to. If you have trouble finding him, come get me and I will help you." The woman offered with a forced smile.

"Of course, don't let us keep you. Thank you." Spencer spoke for the both of them.

The woman nodded slightly and walked away. Both agents turned around and stepped off the porch in synch, walking down the steps.

"That was a little weird, don't you think?" Morgan asked. The dirt crunched beneath their feet with each step they took. They followed the dirt path that had been cleared, leading to the barn at the back of the property.

"Maybe. She was certainly guarded, but that isn't necessarily uncommon. The fact that she knew we had been trying to contact them and then she seemed almost surprised to see us was maybe a little abnormal. If anything, she seemed perhaps a little agitated. For what reason, it's hard to say." Spencer replied as they now stood a couple hundred feet from the working group of men at the front of the barn.

As they approached closer, most of the men didn't even bother to look up from what they were doing; they seemed too focused on their respective jobs. All told, Spencer counted five men outside the barn, but he could also hear noises that suggested there were another two or three men working inside the rather large, stereotypically red barn.

"You men look rather busy." Morgan called out in an attempt to break the ice and announce their presence.

"That we are, we have a lot to get planted fast and Mother Nature sure hasn't made things easy with the drought we've been having. It's been a big enough challenge to feed the cattle. Poorly fed cattle equal poorer quality and that means less money." The closest man explained as he grabbed a couple of hay bales and carried them towards the barn.

The other surrounding men took turns looking up from their assorted tasks, sizing up the two agents and nodding or smiling slightly when eye contact was achieved.

"I've been told it's been a hell of a drought, one of the worst in years." Spencer continued the conversation, following the man into the barn with Morgan close behind.

"You don't know the half of it. Not only is it rough on us, but it's rough on everyone else around here. Tough for anyone to make a living in conditions like this. If things don't turn around soon, they'll only get worse, people will become more desperate." The man explained, dropping the bales he held on the ground in a nearby stall.

"Is that what happened a few days ago? Someone became desperate and tried to steal some of the cattle?" Morgan asked.

The man chuckled, not looking up as he bent down and cut the rope around the hay bales.

"It's all a matter of opinion I guess is what we're being made to believe. The man who was here, Cal something or other, insisted he had an agreement with us, an agreement with Henry, to take about fifteen head in exchange for some hay and other supplies. Funny thing is, that was news to Henry, and the rest of us."

"You're saying there was no agreement what so ever?" Morgan asked as he watched the man spread the hay around the stall.

"That's what I'm saying. The guy just showed up with a couple of big trailer hitches and started helping himself to the cattle. Luckily one of the guys was on his toes and caught them in the act before they could get away."

"What happened then?" Spencer asked.

"Words were exchanged, Henry became angry, and some of us jumped in before things could go too far. The man, Cal backed down after a while, but he kept trying to barter, to cut a deal when it became clear Henry wasn't simply just going to let him leave. The guy became nervous, sent his friends away empty handed. But he continued to insist that he had done nothing wrong, said it was all a big misunderstanding. Before long, Henry had enough of the guy talking circles and called the cops."

"And the police took Cal away?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, after a lengthy discussion. Funny thing was, for a while, that man had me believing that one of us actually _had _cut a deal with him. His story was very…practiced? Enough so that apparently the cops took him in more to appease Henry than anything else."

"The police thought a deal was in place?" Spencer found this to be a little curious.

"I guess. All I know was this guy was a swift talker. He seemed a little nervous, a little…unconfident at times, especially for someone trying to pull a fast one. But I'm sure that guy, if put to the test, could talk himself out of any situation." The young man finished spreading the hay and turned to Morgan and Reid.

"That's what you guys are here for right? You're looking into what happened?" The man stared at them confidently, watching the men exchange glances.

"Uh, we're looking into it, yes." Spencer confirmed awkwardly.

"So what are you, detectives? You're definitely not police officers."

"We're actually FBI agents." Spencer replied before Morgan could stop him. This response caused the young man in front of them to recoil a little.

"FBI? Why would the FBI be interested in something like a cattle dispute? There must be something more to the story, isn't there?" The man asked smartly. Morgan sighed as Spencer shifted his stance.

"Well?" A voice called from above in the hay loft. Spencer and Morgan both glanced up, watching as an older man descended the ladder to come join them.

"Are you going to answer Mark's question? He was kind enough to fill you in on all of our personal business. I think it's only fair you oblige and return the favor." The new man glared first at the younger man named Mark, and then to the two agents.

"Henry Dell I presume?" Spencer spoke first.

"That's right, and you are?"

"I'm Agent Reid, this is Agent Morgan." Spencer replied as he took stock of the man in front of them.

He was an older, weathered man in his late forties, maybe early fifties. He had brown eyes with tired circles under them. His hair was mostly turning gray with some flecks of his previous brown hair color mixed in. His jeans and flannel shirt had dirt stains from the laborious hours he had already put in during the day. His skin, especially his hands were worn and rough, day old stubble covered his face.

"Great. Now, why are you here?" Henry replied shortly.

"Well Mr. Dell we are simply trying to gather information on the incident that occurred here the other day. We're trying to get more background on Cal Stevenson and the men he associates with." Morgan replied genuinely.

"Unfortunately I don't have much else to tell you besides what Mark here already stated. I've only met the guy once or twice."

"But you knew about him before that, didn't you?" Spencer pressed after reading Henry's body language.

Henry sighed, shooting a look at Mark to get lost before he continued. Mark took a final glance at the agents, before adhering to the silent order that had been given, rejoining the other men outside.

"Let's just say I had heard about Cal through the grapevine, the guy's reputation precedes him."

"How so?" asked Morgan.

"Ranching is a bit of a world onto its own. While we don't all necessarily get along, we are still a community. Word gets around if something happens to someone or if another ranch encounters a problem."

"You found out this wasn't Cal's first time, that's why you called the cops even when he tried to make a deal for you not to." Spencer realized.

"I didn't know anyone directly affected, but I heard about the incident near the New Mexican border. And there had been more stories coming from New Mexico about cattle missing or a guy going around trying to cut deals to get cattle for his own struggling ranch. The word was the few people who would actually make the deals were growing wary of doing business with him, or with whoever he works for. With that going on, I guess he decided to branch out. While I haven't really heard anything out of Colorado, word was he was going farther East in search of a new partner to make deals with. That's why I was hardly surprised when he showed up at my door one night little more than a week ago." Henry explained.

"He tried to make a deal with you?" Morgan asked for confirmation.

"He did, and I said no. He tried to pressure me but I held firm. A few days later he came back in the early dawn and tried to take my cattle anyway. We got into an argument, I called the cops, and then he started rambling his bullshit about how we had a deal."

"But you didn't have one." Morgan said.

"Absolutely not. I don't know what that guy is into, or how he thinks he can do business, but I'm all set. I don't need his kind of trouble."

"And what kind of trouble would that be? What did he offer you in trade for the cattle?" Spencer asked this time.

Henry sighed, rubbing his head as he looked past the agents to the world outside the barn. Confirming that no one else was in earshot, he continued.

"He didn't have much to offer to be honest. Some hay, some corn preserved from the previous year's harvest, some odds and ends."

"But nothing nearly at the same value of your cattle." Morgan stated.

"Hell no. I practically laughed him off the farm as soon as I heard his initial offer. It wasn't until he became desperate and saw that I wasn't taking him seriously that he upped his offer."

"How?" Spencer asked, puzzled.

"He added something else to the deal, something they grow _special _on his farm that, at least to some, is considered very valuable."

"And what would that be?" Morgan asked.

"Narcotics." Henry replied.

Morgan and Spencer turned to each other, sharing an uneasy look.

"What kind of narcotics?" Spencer asked.

"I'm not sure, I didn't really ask. As soon as he mentioned it I pretty much kicked him right out. I'm not going to get myself into a mess like that, I run a legitimate business. I rise and fall with what God provides. I don't need to take the cheap, unethical way out of my plight." Henry declared forcefully.

"So you have no idea what so ever?" Morgan pressed. Henry sighed again.

"He tried to explain it to me as I guided him to the door. He told me they grew a couple of different things, one was a drug best described as like marijuana, but only more potent. He told me the man he knew originally brought it over from Mexico and that it is quite effective if you're into that sort of thing."

"And you didn't tell the police this when they arrived to arrest Cal later?"

"I considered it. I could've buried him, sure. But I was more concerned with getting him out of my way and off of my property. What that man does is his business as long as he doesn't try to come after me again."

"This man, the man Cal was referring to, did he have a name?" Spencer asked hopefully.

Henry visibly pondered for a moment, stroking his chin as he did so. Both Reid and Morgan could tell that a name was on the tip of the man's tongue. Finally, Henry's eyes brightened and he snapped his fingers.

"Tony! He said the man's name was Tony."

Spencer felt a slight rush of excitement run through him, but he tried to contain it.

"This Tony, does he have a last name?" Morgan asked without missing a beat.

Henry fidgeted, telling the agents that he knew but that he was hesitant to say for some reason.

"Why the hesitation Mr. Dell?" Morgan asked as he eyed the man.

"Because…I just found out the name yesterday morning. I don't want to cause myself any unnecessary trouble."

"Unnecessary trouble?" Spencer repeated, confused.

"Yeah…" Henry paused, pacing around the nearby area nervously.

"There's something else you aren't telling us, isn't there Mr. Dell?" Morgan followed up.

Henry froze in place, meeting the agents' waiting eyes. He was a little nervous about the whole thing to begin with, and while he didn't know the agents' full reasons for being there, he had a sense there had to be something more to why they were there. He realized that it could be to his benefit if he told them what had happened.

"They came by again, yesterday morning." Henry began.

"_They_? Who, Cal?" Morgan questioned as Henry shook his head negatively.

"Someone else, but I guess they were from the same ranch, there were two of them."

"And what did they want?" Spencer asked, trying his best to remain even and unnerved.

"They showed up unexpectedly early in the morning while I was out in the field with some of the boys. I guess they unnerved my wife a little. If you picked up that she seemed a little nervous and uneasy when you saw her that was probably why. She was spooked enough by the first incident. She's lived a bit of a sheltered life, but she's a good woman."

"What did they want Mr. Dell?" Morgan pushed the man.

"They wanted to set up a meeting, at their place, to try and work something out. They want me to drop the charges against Cal. In return, they're offering more goods, homemade goods, and more of their crops are the gist of what I got, nothing illegal. One of the men said I would be an exclusive special guest of their boss, _Tony Aceves_."

"Did you agree to the meeting?" Spencer asked anxiously, committing the stated name to memory. Henry paused a little again.

"I did. They insisted it would be worth my while, that if I wanted they would leave me alone after this. They claimed the other times they had this problem, the farmers they met with came away more than pleased and that there were no hard feelings."

"When and where is this meeting Mr. Dell?" Morgan asked as the man glanced from Reid back to him.

"Tomorrow night. They said they would be here around dusk to pick me up. I would take my own car and follow them back with one of their men riding along with me just as a precaution. I asked them why not tonight just to get it over with, but they insisted that today would not be a good day, that it would have to be tomorrow."

"Why is that?" Spencer asked.

"I don't know, they wouldn't say." Spencer and Morgan exchanged a look, both realizing the same thing; there was a very good chance they had just found their lead to JJ.

"Is there anything else Mr. Dell?" Morgan asked. The man looked thoughtfully for a moment, before shaking his head negatively.

"You're trying to track down these men, aren't you?" Henry asked after a silent pause.

"Yes, we are. Here's my card Mr. Dell, we'll be in touch." Morgan said, offering up his card with his number on it.

"You're planning to accompany me, aren't you?" The man asked more sternly.

"We need to discuss this news with the rest of our team, but yes, you'll probably see us again tomorrow." Spencer spoke up, not waiting for Morgan.

Henry glanced back down at Morgan's card thoughtfully, sighing as he nodded his head. It was at that moment the man realized he was in this thing deeper than he had thought.


	31. Welcome To The Group

**AN: Thank you all for more of the great feedback! Particularly, thank you to LaRieNGuBleR, jmdernier, Wren Calhoun, Arwennicole, Paige-Rawr, and crazyobsession101, I'm very happy you all enjoyed the last chapter. This chapter goes back to JJ's situation, but after that the following chapters will focus on actually finding her, long awaited I know!**

Tony returned no more than an hour later. He was well dressed in suit pants and a button down shirt, his short hair neatly groomed. He entered his room without knocking as he knew time was of the essence if he didn't want them to be late. Sara was a master at getting a lot done in a short time and as Tony's eyes made their way to where a doped up JJ was sitting, he saw that she had once again been successful.

The beautiful blonde was fully clothed in the gorgeous, form-fitting dress he had picked out for her. JJ was seated, facing the dresser mirror as Sara stood behind her putting last minute touches to the woman's make-up. Tony admired from a distance, noticing how Sara had put just enough make-up on the blonde to jazz her up a little, while still avoiding caking it on and losing some of JJ's natural beauty. Sara certainly was impressive with her styling skills.

As Tony's eyes moved to JJ's hair he licked his lips. The normally long, straight locks had been styled into soft curls resting gently on the woman's shoulders. He had never seen JJ with her hair curled before and he had to say, although he preferred it straight, it was still a good look for her.

After fully appraising the job that had been done, Tony cleared his throat, signaling his presence in the room. Sara turned around quickly, so focused was she that she had hardly heard Tony enter the room. Meeting his eyes, she gave a silent nod indicating she understood her time was up. She began to pack up her things as he walked over.

JJ remained seated, having not moved, simply staring at her blurry reflection in the mirror. Tony stood behind her, breathing in the luscious scent of her perfume, a very similar scent to the one he had smelt on her during their first night together. He knew it wasn't exactly what she wore, but it was close enough to sufficiently satisfy him.

The sensory overload he received made it very tempting for him to claim her soft lips with his, to remind himself that she truly did belong to him. Tony didn't want to ruin the great make-up job Sara had accomplished however, so he settled for brushing some of the light, blonde curls from JJ's shoulder and placing a light kiss to her succulent skin.

"It's time my dear. Your moment of glory has arrived." He whispered as the blonde's head lulled to the side a little.

Looking into her eyes through the reflection in the mirror, Tony recognized the familiar haziness. She wouldn't have much of her wits about her during the ceremony, which, all things considered, probably wouldn't be such a bad thing. The last thing Tony could afford was a begging, pleading, woman intent on escaping positioned on the alter for all to see. Such a thing would reflect poorly on him. He wanted the others to believe he had made more progress with the woman than he actually had.

Not to say he hadn't made any progress. Just that this woman had presented a real challenge, maybe even more so than he had anticipated if her actions earlier were of any indication.

Tony ended his musings and gently grabbed JJ's arm, helping her unsteadily to her feet. Standing beside her, Tony admired his great choice of dress for her. It fit her well as he had noticed when he first entered the room, but now he could see that the dress, indeed, clung to her curves in all the right places. She looked absolutely delectable.

Pulling her against him, Tony wrapped his hand around her waist for support, his fingers pressing intimately into her hip as they began to walk from the room. For her part, JJ immediately tried to register her surroundings, of where they were headed. Just as the previous day when she had met Camilla, the task was exceedingly difficult. Her vision was blurry and she felt light headed and dizzy.

The rest of her senses seemed to be on even higher alert; the slightest sound caused her to flinch. The combination of different aromas overwhelmed and confused her senses. It was all almost too much for her to handle. She found her body at the mercy of the man beside her. She had no choice but to lean into him, to non-verbally ask him to help her as they made their way down the staircase.

If her mind were thinking clearly, JJ was sure she would have been repulsed with herself for being so weak, for turning so needy, for having to trust the evil man next to her. All of this didn't matter right now, she was in this situation and there was nothing she could do about it.

The one task JJ gave herself, in an attempt to ignore the feel of the side of her hip pressing into Tony's, was to try to learn the internal layout of the compound better. After the latest round of drugs and the events of the morning JJ had come to a scary conclusion. If she ever wanted out of that room, to earn more freedom and navigate her own way through the colony without being drugged into a foggy, almost sickly daze, then she was going to have to change her approach.

As much as it sickened her to think about it, JJ realized she was going to have to submit to Tony. She had to _truly_ submit to him. Even if deep down it was against her natural instincts. She had to convince him that he had her where he wanted her. She had to make him believe she accepted that she belonged to him.

She would have to do it gradually, over the course of hours, God forbid days, if that's what it took. She would have to pick and choose her fights more carefully. She would have to gradually build up his trust in her. So far every time he seemed to trust her just a little, her instincts would kick in, she would fight him, and all progress made in getting him to trust her would be lost.

This way, once Tony finally trusted her, finally believed that she had truly accepted this life; she could make her real move. She could earn her freedom from the room, without the drugs, and if she could get a head start on the layout of the compound, then JJ knew with the proper timing she could make her real escape attempt.

Until then, she would have to suffer, indignantly, but to JJ there no longer appeared to be any other way; unless her team miraculously showed up. She had to stay strong; she had to keep her confidence in herself, even if that meant hiding it from Tony. She had to accept she was on her own, and work from there, it was the only way she could try to keep her sanity.

JJ turned her head to the side, taking in the painted portraits and different artwork that hung on the wall as they made their way down a brightly lit corridor. Her heels echoed loudly, unevenly down the hallway as they hit the hardwood floor. There was the occasional stained glass window intermeshed with the designs on the wall. If JJ didn't know any better it was almost like they were in a chapel.

Then, as they turned the corner and entered through the double doors of the closest room on the left, she found herself to truly be in a chapel.

She tried to straighten her posture, becoming self-conscious and a little nervous at the feel of many sets of eyes aimed in her direction. Lifting her head, JJ noticed that the rows of pews were filled with people of all ages, from older men and women, to young boys and girls.

As she walked with Tony down the center aisle, his arm still holding her up for support, JJ noticed that in fact every set of eyes _were_ on her. They were all appraising her, judging her, immediately coming up with stereotypes for the foreign woman who was soon to become a member of their group. It would be disconcerting to begin with, but the fact that she was drugged made it that much worse.

JJ felt her anxiety rising, her breathing picking up in nervousness. The sound of her heels painfully echoed in her ears. The sound, the feel of Tony's breath wafting down on her, that minty scent, brought back memories she would rather have forgotten. It was all too much to handle. She felt a droplet of sweat on her brow. So panicked was she, that she couldn't even consider if all of this, the nervousness and anxiety, was simply another effect of the drug in her system.

JJ wanted to close her eyes, but she didn't want to show any more weakness than necessary in front of the group. Instead, she forced herself to look forward, eyeing the alter where she was being walked to. Her eyes fell to the long wooden beam that stood bolted in the center of the alter, almost like a cross. There were two sets of leather restraints attached to it.

Tony helped JJ take the step up onto the alter and guided her towards the beam. She eyed it fearfully as it danced from side to side in her line of vision. When she was mere inches from the beam, Tony silently turned her around so that she was facing the congregation. JJ tried not to shake, tried not to show fear, reminding herself that this was just like a press conference, even if it was nothing like one.

Tony gently pressed her against the beam and lifted her arms straight above her head. Pushing her wrists together and pinning them to the beam, he took the leather strap and brought it across, buckling the strap shut and effectively restraining her wrists.

JJ let her eyes travel over the different faces of the congregation as Tony bent down and used the other strap to restrain her ankles to the beam. None of the faces in the crowd struck JJ as familiar. It was hard to make some of them out from the distance at where they sat, especially as some of them seemed to float around when she tried to focus on them.

Forcing her eyes down, to look at the people closer to her, she took in the faces of the people who sat in the front row. There was a smaller man, sitting next to his two young children and no doubt his wife; the wife who was eyeing JJ with almost a sympathetic, understanding look.

Passing over a few of the older faces, JJ recognized Camilla's face as she glared at her with a slight smirk on her face, her fingers intertwined with the man who sat beside her.

'Must be her husband. What was his name? Alan? Alex? Adam?' JJ wracked her brain as Tony stepped to the side and moved towards the podium beside her. She wanted to remember as many people as she could, as many names as she could, so later when she escaped she could help capture all the people who had committed wrongs against her.

Moving down the line, towards the center aisle, JJ nearly jumped at the pair of dark eyes focused unwaveringly on her. The eyes belonged to a large, scruffy looking man. If she didn't know any better, JJ would've guessed that there was something familiar about him. As Tony began to speak, his voice booming throughout the room, the man's eyes barely left her. Finally, JJ forced herself to look away, praying the feel of the man's eyes on her would subside.

Tony continued to speak. The group stood and sang, they prayed, it was almost like a normal church mass. JJ herself wasn't one to go to church much, but she still recognized the familiar pace of the event and some of the prayers they sang.

Time passed, as these things continued. JJ found her legs feeling more tired from the stock-still position she stood in. She leaned further into the beam behind her, an attempt to relax and find comfort as the heels she wore began to make her feet hurt. Her shoulders were getting tired from supporting her arms straight up, the arms themselves beginning to tingle.

JJ was beginning to wonder what her purpose for this event was, other than to be introduced to the others and to serve as some form of sick trophy-statue. Tony had almost completely ignored her since he had left her there. He held the firm attention of most of the attendees, minus the occasional peak from the curious little children and the man who she still caught intermittently eyeing her. Then Tony's words caught her attention. She glanced over, seeing he had turned to her.

"Now, today we are in for a special treat." He spoke. "Today, we add a new member to our congregation. She comes to us all the way from Pennsylvania. Not only is she beautiful, but she is smart and incredibly strong willed." Tony smiled, taking a few steps closer, his hand out and pointed in JJ's direction as if he were showing her off as he described her to the others. JJ watched his every movement, willing her eyes to focus.

"This, my friends is a joyous day as I have finally found the woman that God intended for me! Just when I felt down, when I was ready to lose hope, God brought this angel into my life! Praise the Lord!" Tony's voice boomed cheerfully.

"Thank you Lord!" The congregation replied in unison.

"How do I know she is the one you may ask yourself? How did I meet such a beautiful, wonderful woman? Well, she walked into my life, on the most whimsical and unlikeliest of circumstances. As soon as I saw her, a voice, a voice as clear as if one of you were talking to me right now, told me she was the one intended for me. We were placed on this earth to find each other! To be together! To live happily ever after, growing our own family and guiding all of you, our extended family, to a long life filled with happiness and prosperity until the day the Lord tells us it is time for us to join him! This…is the future mother of my kids, our queen if you will. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming this lovely lady, Jennifer Jareau, into our warm embraces!" Tony hollered. The others turned to JJ, their focus back on her and in unison they replied.

"Welcome home, Jennifer Jareau!"

Tony looked on with a smile while JJ responded by shifting slightly in discomfort.

"She will be addressed, respectfully, as Jennifer by all of you. To me, she is affectionately known as JJ. She is still new to our ways, but she will learn in time. It is the responsibility of all of us, to help make this transition as easy for her as possible…To make her truly feel welcomed and accepted. This task I lay on you, God lays on us all." He said as he turned back to them all.

"I am confident we can handle this task. This will be the start of a long and prosperous period for us all." Tony finished, reaching for the glass of water positioned on the podium and taking a sip. Setting the glass down and taking a breath, Tony turned back to JJ.

"And now, before we officially accept her into our collective group, I believe Jennifer has some words to say to all of you." Tony turned back to JJ and stared at her.

JJ turned her head, her eyes moving from one side of the congregation to the other, completely clueless as to what she was to say. Suddenly, Camilla dropped the hand of her husband and stood from her seat in the front row.

"Jennifer, look at me." She commanded coldly. JJ's eyes obediently shifted to the gruff older woman.

When Camilla was certain the blonde's eyes had focused on her, she mouthed 'repeat after me'. JJ took a gulp of air and watched as the woman's lips began to move. As her brain began to comprehend what the woman was mouthing, it hit her like a zap of electricity. Suddenly she could hear Camilla's voice, her own voice, as they recited the familiar words. JJ tried to clamp her mouth shut as she felt them bubble to the surface of her consciousness. Somehow, someway, she was unable to stop it. In a soft voice that wavered and cracked slightly, she vocalized the familiar words.

"_My name is Jennifer Jareau. I am with Tony. He is our leader. His job is to lead the others in this colony to prosperity while spreading the good word of HIS teachings. He is to protect them, and me, from any undo harm. I am here to support him in any way I can. My role in this colony is to support Tony, and our other heroic leaders as they try to lead us out of the darkness and into the light. I have a responsibility to help lead the other women of this colony, and to teach our children the important lessons necessary in order to lead a rich, fulfilling, life. I belong to Tony. I am here for Tony, in every way. I am to obey him and follow what he asks of me…I will follow the leader. I will make Tony happy. I will comply with his wishes for me. I love Tony, very, very much. I will be a loving, loyal wife to him. I will help to love and nurture our future son together, and I will help him lead this colony as we continue to progress forward, giving all I have to offer, with all my heart." _JJ closed her eyes and bit her lip when she finished, as if her brain was finally back under her own control. When she reopened her eyes, they glanced down to Camilla, who had retaken her seat and now wore a prideful smile on her face. Clapping, Tony drew her attention and smiled as well.

"That was beautiful Jennifer, thank you." He spoke adoringly.

JJ turned from him, turning to the congregation and seeing their eyes still on her. She glanced up toward the ceiling, finding it to be her only comfort and solace at the moment. Tony turned back to the gathered group.

"And now, I make my show of commitment to her." He spoke, turning his back to them and walking to the beam. Standing behind her, JJ shifted when she felt him place his hands on her shoulders.

"The Lord states 'thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife'. Although we have yet to be married no one should make the mistake…Jennifer belongs to me. When this is over, there will be no doubt. A pox be on the man who dare violates this rule and touches her, for he will suffer." Tony shouted, his voice so loud in JJ's ear from their close proximity that she thought her eardrum would shatter.

JJ felt her heart skip a beat as she felt Tony's fingers find the zipper on the back of her dress, gently pulling it down the track.

"I will never look at another woman with the same lust that I have for Jennifer. And after today, none of you shall look at her with the same lustful looks you will now set upon her. As God is my witness, this, is the Lord's will."

JJ closed her eyes tightly, out of shame and embarrassment, as she felt the dress slide down her body and pool at her feet. She felt the cool air assault her uncovered skin, covering her in goose bumps. She was certain she could feel perverted eyes travelling up and down her body. She felt her cheeks turn bright red with shame as she remembered some of the bruising on her thighs that would no doubt be visible now for all to see. She was thankful that her legs had been tied closely together, giving her just the slightest bit of modesty and protection.

Taking deep breaths and gaining courage through what had felt like an eternity of silence, JJ finally forced her eyes open. She forced herself to look confident, defiant even, despite her current state. She looked out upon the others, noticing many eyes had already turned away from her. Most women had looked away, some shielding the eyes of their children or scolding them for staring. Some men had also shown enough respect or disinterest to look away as well, but JJ could make out a choice few who seemed to have every intention of undressing her with their eyes for as long as would be allowed. Particularly, she tried to ignore the large scruffy man in front, who now had a wide, beaming smile on his face as he eyed her.

As the seconds ticked by and Tony disappeared for a moment with an assistant, JJ felt her discomfort at the situation ease a little. More seconds ticked by and Tony returned. He made his presence to her known by placing his hand gently on her hip, causing JJ to flinch out of habit.

"And now, for the final induction." He said, placing his other hand on the other side of her waist. His fingers hooked into the waistband of her underwear, making JJ frantic.

"No! No no no!"

"Relax my angel." Tony whispered softly into her ear, his fingers flipping the waistband inside out.

"Tony, please, don't do this!" She pleaded sharply under her breath.

He ignored her and JJ cringed as she felt him guide the right side of her underwear down about an inch, baring her hip. JJ heard a second set of footsteps approach. They were lighter, softer, suggesting a woman or a young boy.

"Thank you." She heard Tony say from behind her.

One hand held her underwear in place, careful not to reveal her to them, while the other hand accepted the object. JJ swore she could almost hear a sizzling, sensing a strange source of heat as it passed, radiating, not far from her lower back. When the object was moved to her side, JJ was finally able to look down and see it just as Tony spoke.

"Jennifer Jareau, welcome to our colony!"

Before the words could leave her mouth, Tony brought the small brand to her hip and pressed it into her flesh. JJ let out a blood curdling scream as the metal object seared into her skin. Some audible gasps could be heard at her screams, although not as many as one might have expected. It was as if they were more than used to the process by now. It felt like an eternity before Tony finally removed the poker from her hip.

JJ could immediately smell the scent of her own burning flesh as it continued to throb painfully long after the object had been removed. Tears trickled out of her eyes and down her cheeks from the pain. Her body shuddered painfully as she gasped for air.

"It's ok my dear, the pain will subside with time." Tony consoled, his hand stroking her curls.

JJ forced herself to tilt her head down, trying to put on a brave front as she looked at the damage that had been done. On her lower hip, looking red and angry, was a square inch by inch spot that had inter-locking letters which read 'TA'. It was like a small tattoo, only JJ knew it would likely be a permanent scar that she would never be able to rid herself of.

"What…what is that?" She stuttered, blinking furiously to clear her blurry eyes of the gathered tears.

"Why, my initials honey. This let's everyone know who you belong to…so there can't possibly be any mistake." He whispered quietly into her ear. He pulled her underwear back up, placing it gently in its previous position around her waist. JJ yelped in pain as the fabric brushed against her raw skin.

"The process has been completed. Jennifer Jareau is now one of us! Let us praise the Lord!" Tony encouraged.

"Thank you Lord for blessing us all!" The congregation responded in unison.

"Thank you all for coming. Next week, Jennifer and I will officially embark upon our matrimony as we begin a long, happy, healthy life together." Tony pulled out a small jewelry box from his pocket.

JJ sniffled, still whirling from what had happened as she looked back to the ceiling. Tony pulled out two objects from the box. The first was a small, delicate, necklace that he gently clasped around her neck. The second, a ring with a small diamond, he stood on his toes so he could slide it onto her appropriate finger. The group stood and cheered, clapping politely once the jewelry had been placed on her.

JJ glanced down, straining to look at the small necklace. It was a thin golden chain with a small golden medallion in the middle containing the image of a man and woman holding hands in apparent wedded bliss. She wiggled her fingers, glancing up to just catch a peak at the ring that had been placed on her hand.

"There are refreshments in the adjoining room for all to enjoy as we celebrate this wonderful event. Thank you all again, from the bottom of my heart." Tony finished, cueing everyone to stand.

JJ sniffled tears, feeling another trickle uncontrollably down her cheek as she tried to comprehend everything that had happened. She couldn't believe this was real; she had to be in some alternate reality. This was too bizarre, too painful to be true. It was almost like a slow death for the very soul that used to belong to her, a soul that was being stolen from her, piece by piece.

JJ stared out into the crowd as she felt her dress make its ascent back up her body into its original position. Her eyes met those of the rough looking man, who nodded slightly before turning and leaving for the other room. Her eyes moved further left, spotting Camilla staring at her with a sick, happy grin on her face. JJ glared back angrily and after a moment, the woman turned and walked away hand in hand with her husband.

Finally, her eyes fell to that of the family in the first row; the small man, the compassionate looking woman, and her two kids. Seeing the sad look on the woman's face, noticing a tear-stained track on the woman's cheek, JJ couldn't help but shake the feeling that woman was simply more than compassionate. She understood JJ's plight. JJ didn't know how, but taking one more long look at the woman, she was convinced of this even through the pain and the drugs.

"You smeared your make-up." Tony said quietly, bringing his thumb to her cheek after he had finished zipping her up. JJ stared straight ahead, unmoving, as his thumb was replaced by his moist lips on her cheek.

"I know it hurt, but you were great. I'm very proud of you, Jay-Jay." Tony whispered lovingly as he reached up to undo the leather straps around her wrists.

She hadn't even realized until then that her legs were already free. When the restraint released, Tony caught her tired arms and gently brought them down to her sides. JJ fell forward a little, away from the beam but Tony was quick to catch her.

"I got you babe." He whispered into her hair, his thumb strumming over where he knew her belly button was as he embraced her. Tony used his hands to help her straighten her posture. Staring deep into her eyes, seeing the pain they held, his eyes grew softer.

"Take a minute to get yourself together, there's no rush. They can all wait for us. I can make them wait as long as you need." He spoke quickly, as if to convince her of the power he held, the things he would do for her if she would just let him. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he gently brought it to JJ's face and began to dab lightly at her running make-up.

"You are so beautiful. With or without make-up, you are truly an angel. You have no idea how much I love you." He said quietly. He pulled the cloth away when he was done as JJ continued to stare down at the floor.

"Thank you." She said in a barely audible whisper.

"I just wish there was some way I could get you to believe that I mean it." He said as he lifted her chin gently.

"Let me go." JJ mumbled in reply.

Tony sighed, his disappointment clear at her not wanting to willingly share the quiet moment with him.

"Maybe someday you'll understand." He said hopefully. "Come on, let's go." Tony gently grabbed JJ's wrist, leading her away from the alter and towards the gathering in the next room.


	32. Tony's History & Making a Plan

**AN: My apologies (as usual) for the delay in updating. Between school and work (and everything that comes with it) life has become extremely busy , making it a lot harder to update frequently. With that said, I have EVERY intention of continuing (there will NOT be a hiatus) and I will give this story the proper ending you all deserve, even if it means you may have to be a little more patient with updates. **

**Thank you to Arwennicole, Wren Calhoun, jmdernier, cm-fan, anon, and LaRieNGuBleR for providing feedback to the last chapter. This chapter is more of a step-up for the next few. Next update is Wednesday (hopefully)!**

By the time Morgan and Reid returned to the precinct, the rest of the team was waiting for them, seated around the large table.

On the drive back, Spencer had wasted little time in phoning Garcia so she could check into the name 'Tony Aceves'. He felt jittery, struggling to control his nerves. He knew this man, the one Henry Dell had named, was the man they were looking for, the man who had JJ. There wasn't an ounce of doubt in Spencer's body. While he had yet to get the proof, of having the name match the face they had, there was something deep inside him that just knew this was the man they needed to find. This was the man who had knowingly or unknowingly tortured him in addition to whatever he may have already done to JJ.

As Morgan pulled into the precinct lot, lost in his own thoughts, Spencer was already thinking through the potential scenarios. Of how they would accompany Henry Dell and make it look legitimate. Of how he would have to use a rouse to get into the ranch and find a way to excuse himself so he could look for JJ, to confirm that she was indeed being held captive at that place, with those people. Then, once he had indeed found her or at least confirmed that she was there, how he would get them all out of there in one piece.

On its broadest level perhaps it sounded almost simple, but Spencer knew all too well that was hardly the case. If anything, it would be exceedingly more challenging than the simplest, most direct plan of getting her back. The man who had taken JJ had gone through a lot of trouble to take her, he had taken a big risk, and he certainly wouldn't just willingly hand her over as soon as Spencer showed up with his team.

"You guys look determined. I'm guessing you found something?" Emily commented, snapping Spencer from his personal train of thought. Morgan reached for the speaker phone and dialed Garcia as Spencer began to explain.

"We think we found our break in the case. Henry Dell, the owner of the most recent ranch that had a run in with Cal Stevenson, was just visited yesterday by two more men from the same ranch. They requested he meet with their boss to try and square things away, to bury any hard feelings." Spencer began to relay the story. Rossi and Prentiss exchanged a look that didn't go unnoticed by Hotchner.

"Does that sound familiar to you?" He asked the other two agents.

"Actually it does, yes." Emily replied.

"The man we talked to said about two days after they had a run in with Cal Stevenson, a few men came by and requested his audience with their boss so that they could try to have the charges dropped. After some gentle persuasion, the ranch owner agreed and met with the boss. The boss went by the name of 'Tony'. While they didn't reach a completely satisfying agreement, they were amicable enough that the rancher was willing to drop the charges against Cal." Rossi explained.

"That's the same name we got from Henry Dell too. We already relayed the name to Garcia so she can look into him. The only other thing we learned was that one of the so-called crops that Cal –or Tony's- ranch specializes in is a type of narcotics." Morgan continued.

"That's news to us." Emily chimed in, looking to Rossi for confirmation.

"Supposedly from what he was told it was something similar, but more potent, than marijuana that had been acquired from Mexico." Spencer added.

"So we're looking at a group of people who potentially run an illegitimate business under the guise of a legitimate one." Hotchner summarized.

"That really doesn't stray far from the profile we have. A group of men, who commit various crimes, almost like an organization." Emily stated.

"They must be practiced, to have gotten away with something like that for this long." Morgan said.

"Unless they've been working small scale and decided it was time to expand." Rossi spoke.

"But where does kidnapping JJ fit into this? It still doesn't completely fit." Emily questioned.

"There's a reason for everything they do. If this is indeed the correct ranch and the name proves to check out, then they will have JJ whether we've figured out the reason or not." Hotchner said. At that moment Garcia rang in, having missed Morgan's first attempt to call her.

"Sorry for the delay my friends, but it was not easy to find your man." She apologized.

"But you _did_ find him?" Spencer asked eagerly.

"Well at first I wasn't sure, but after digging a little deeper, yes I believe so."

"Please explain Garcia." Hotchner ordered firmly.

"Well you see, searching for the name 'Tony Aceves' in the local database doesn't come up with any hits. Searching it on the country-wide database comes up with a bunch of hits, but none that match up with the image of the man we pulled off the police security camera. Frustrated but undeterred, I remembered what boy genius said about 'Mexico' when he phoned in and requested my search."

"Let me guess, that gave you a hit." Morgan said as he leaned over the table.

"Very good, it did." Garcia applauded him.

"He's a border jumper?" Emily asked a little fearfully.

"More like _twice_ a border jumper. You see, Tony Aceves is actually 'Antonio Manuel Alonso', that is his given birth name. At the age of fifteen, Antonio Alonso was sent away to live with extended family on his father's side in Mexico. He spent at least ten years in Mexico from what I can tell, during which time he changed his name to 'Tony Aceves', the name, it appears, he goes by now. Follow me so far?" Garcia paused to take a breath.

"Yeah we follow baby girl, but that leaves us with a lot of open questions." Morgan replied.

"I figured, so let me start from towards the beginning. Antonio Alonso was born in Texas to a Mexican father and an American, mostly Caucasian mother. Little Antonio's father wasn't around much growing up, and when he was, he seemed to get into trouble, the worst of which was abusing his wife. Around fourteen, Antonio's mother died of uncertain causes, although according to the ME's report back then it appeared to be natural. Not long after, Antonio began to get into various forms of trouble with no stable parents to look after him. Finally fed up, Antonio's father shipped him to Mexico to live with a cousin."

"Where is Antonio's father now?" Hotchner interjected.

"He died in prison about six years ago. As far as I can tell, he never saw his son again which may have been a good thing anyway."

"Why is that baby girl?" Morgan asked.

"Because from what I can tell in addition to abusing his wife, Antonio's father would also occasionally beat little Antonio from what I've pulled of his medical records."

"An abusive childhood, why am I not surprised this guy doesn't appear to be right in the head." Emily commented.

"From there things become more murky. Mexican records aren't as easy to go through or as detailed as ours, and it was enough of a struggle for me to get into their international database and come up with a match and some history." Garcia explained.

"Sounds like you've done a hell of a job so far." Rossi encouraged.

"Why thank you Mr. Rossi. To continue the story, 'Antonio Alonso' changed his name legally to 'Tony Aceves', perhaps in an attempt to start fresh and distance himself from his immediate family history. He spent an uncertain amount of years in Mexico, before apparently returning."

"You mentioned that you thought he spent at least ten years in Mexico Garcia, why do you believe that?" Rossi questioned.

"Because over a ten year period, beginning when he arrived in Mexico, Tony Aceves was in and out of jail from what I can tell. It seems he further immersed himself in the wrong crowds, selling drugs, getting into fights, and he was even accused of a sexual assault. While the records aren't very specific, it says his last release date from jail was about ten years after he arrived in Mexico."

Spencer cringed inwardly as he heard Garcia list off Tony's accused offenses, pushing to the rear of his mind what said offenses could potentially mean for JJ.

"How long ago was that release date Garcia?" Hotchner asked.

"About seven years ago sir. After that, the trail goes cold. The man simply vanished. I would suggest that perhaps he changed his name again, but obviously that doesn't appear to be the case."

"More like he found somewhere to hide himself until he regrouped and figured out what to do next." Morgan stated.

"And you are certain this is our man?" Rossi asked.

"Absolutely. I'm sending an older picture of him with his name and records to your computers now, but I already ran him through the biological database and it came back as a strong match. I am confident that this is the man you are looking for." Garcia said strongly.

"Now we just have to figure out what he's been doing for the last seven years." Emily commented.

"Apparently he's been laying low in a relatively secluded area, dabbling in small crimes while attempting to run what appears to be a legitimate farm. He's trying to blend in with his surroundings." Rossi said.

"But if he owns a farm, runs a farm, whatever. Shouldn't his name show up somewhere?" Spencer questioned quickly.

"I'm already in the process of checking through that. Unfortunately I don't have anything yet. I'll get back to you as soon as I do though you can count on that."

"Thank you Garcia." Hotchner replied before turning back to Morgan and Reid. "You said that Tony wanted to meet with Henry Dell. Did Dell agree to go?"

"He did. He said somebody would be by tomorrow evening to pick him up and that one of Tony's men would ride with Dell in Dell's own car." Morgan confirmed.

"This might be our best chance to grab them, to get them to lead us to wherever they operate out of." Rossi said.

"We shouldn't disturb them though. We don't want to scare them off. This is our first direct lead to JJ potentially; we can't afford to lose it." Emily said.

"I agree. Which is why we should follow them from a distance, perhaps put a tracker in Dell's car or on Dell himself." Hotchner replied.

"But we still won't know for sure if JJ is where they take Dell. For all we know Tony will keep them separate, or perhaps they have multiple areas of operation. One of us needs to go with Dell, undercover, while the others follow and keep tabs from a distance." Spencer said.

"I don't know Reid." Emily said a little uneasily.

"While it would be pretty risky, I think it's the only logical option we have right now, unless another option presents itself or Garcia comes up with something more. We'll have to sell it well, and make sure that Dell is in this completely for us to have a chance. If something goes wrong, things could get ugly quick. We don't really have a lot on what to expect when we get there other than a few men with some violent histories. For all we know, it could be a full organization as Dave sort of suggested." Hotchner said.

"Now the question is, which one of us goes without arising the most suspicion?" Rossi posed.

"I'll do it." Morgan spoke without a moment's hesitation. The rest of the team appeared to consider this when Reid spoke up.

"I don't think it would work. No offense Morgan, but you don't exactly fit the stereotypical farm type around here."

"And you do?" Morgan shot back quickly, knowing where Reid was headed with this.

"I'm just saying that out of the five of us, based on the culture around here, you and Emily would be the least likely candidates to fit the job."

"Unfortunately he does have a point." Rossi said as he turned to Hotchner.

Hotchner thought quietly for a moment, considering the options set before him. In his mind, everything pointed to him being the one to do it. As Reid had stated Prentiss and Morgan didn't really fit. Rossi could, although he was older and had an Italian look that could potentially give him away as suspicious. That left himself and Reid.

The problem with Reid was although there was little question he would be willing to do it, and perhaps he may even generate the least suspicion out of the group, he was also the one most affected by the case. They were all directly affected closely by the case, Hotchner wasn't kidding himself, but considering his relationship with JJ and all he had been through, Reid appeared to be a dangerous choice.

Spencer seemed to pick up on the unit chief's hesitation. If there was one thing Spencer Reid was not, it was dumb. He knew exactly where Hotchner's train of thought was going. He had to derail it in short order, and convince his boss that he was up to the task before Hotch made the choice Reid knew he would make and Spencer found himself standing on the outside looking in. He couldn't stand for that, it would be the worst form of torture possible. To be standing with the rest of the team on the outskirts of the ranch, listening over a headset, if it were even possible, to what was taking place inside.

"Hotch, can we talk in private, please?" Spencer requested softly before Hotchner had a chance to voice his decision. The request gained him looks from the rest of the team, everyone in the room knowing exactly what Reid was pining to do.

"We already know Reid; you want to be the one to go in. Hotch is going to say himself, and you disagree, right?" Rossi said calmly, despite the seeming sharpness of his words.

Spencer knew his teammates weren't idiots either, that they would already have him figured out. But he figured if he got Hotch alone it might be easier to speak more freely and convince his boss that he could, that he _needed_, to do the job.

"Hotch please; don't take this away from me. I need to do this. For me and for JJ." Spencer pleaded, pride be damned as he stood before his team.

"Reid, whoever of us goes is potentially going to be in an extremely dangerous situation if something goes wrong. Getting in with Dell should be easy enough, hopefully, but after that we have no idea what will happen. Are you sure you'd be ready for this? Especially if JJ isn't there? Are you going to be able to leave without putting yourself or Dell at risk?" Hotchner stared at him hard.

"Hotch I can _do_ this." Spencer responded without backing down. "If anything, I know how to think quickly. You know if anyone can talk themselves out of a situation or see a situation dissolving before it happens, it's me."

This earned a look from Morgan, who quickly recalled what had happened when they went to get Gordon. He kept his mouth shut however, not wanting to betray his friend. Spencer would never forgive him, even if it was for his own safety.

Hotchner sighed, rubbing his temple. He had a very hard decision to make. If he sent Reid in and something went wrong, he wasn't sure if he would be able to forgive himself for not making himself go. He knew Spencer was more rested than he had been in days, that the close call with Gordon may have set him straight, but it was still an exceedingly large risk. If Spencer were to go in, see JJ, and worse yet be witness to something bad happening to JJ, there was no telling what could happen.

'Granted, the same can be said for all of us, including myself.' Hotchner reminded himself.

The sound of Rossi clearing his throat tore through the tense silence of the room.

"Hotch, this is just my opinion of course. But if Reid thinks he can do it, I mean he is absolutely certain he can do this, then I think you should let him." Rossi said as he looked at the young man. Spencer's mouth turned up slightly, showing the older man in front of him the slightest bit of appreciation.

"While we won't have full control of the situation, it's not like he'll be alone. He will be with Dell and we will be positioned just out of sight. We aren't sending him in there completely blind." Rossi offered.

"Pretty close Dave, pretty close." Hotchner said as he looked at him.

Morgan sighed, walking up to Spencer and putting his arm on his friend's shoulder.

"I think Reid can do it too, I agree with Rossi." Morgan offered, earning a surprised look from both Hotchner and Reid.

"I agree, I think you should let him do it Hotch. There's no one more determined to help JJ than Reid, he'll do anything for her." Emily added, throwing in her support.

'That's what I'm afraid of.' Hotchner replied to Emily's last few words in his head.

Looking at the rest of the team, seeing their support, their unity, Hotchner knew he didn't have much of a choice, but he also couldn't have been more proud. After another lengthy pause, Hotchner relented and announced his decision.

"Ok Reid, you're going in. We barely have twenty-four hours to prepare, and to get Dell ready, let's move."


	33. Accessing The Compound

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole and LaRieNGuBleR for reviewing the last chapter. I know it was short and kind of **_**eh**_** but I needed it as a bridge to this next part. And to answer LaRieNGuBleR's question, no you did not miss the timeline, this is the first time they are sending someone in. New CM ep tonight, yay!**

Spencer was trying his hardest not to let the heavy breathing of the man standing beside him distract him from his focus. He could see the headlights of the approaching truck in the distance, and by the increased breathing of Henry Dell, Spencer knew the man had seen it too.

"Try not to be too nervous. Everything should be fine. Just act normal, I'm just another one of your workers. You're bringing me with you just as back up, because you trust me." Spencer coached the man for the hundredth time that day. Dell turned and nodded silently at him, but his labored breathing remained.

"They really aren't that dangerous. They just want to complete a business deal with you." Spencer lied.

In reality, he had no bearing of what these men might do. As far as he knew they weren't capable of murder, just potentially everything else in between. Spencer shoved his hands into the worn jeans he was wearing, to keep from fidgeting and showing his own nervousness.

The team was nowhere in sight, but Spencer knew they weren't far, parked hidden in a nearby field. Further, they had planted a tracker in the pair of old boots he wore, just in case the men tried to search his person, which they were sure to do. The chuckle from Dell caught Spencer's attention as he looked down to toe a pebble.

"If they were here just to complete a business deal then you wouldn't be standing here now would you?" The man retorted almost ironically. Spencer met the man's eyes then looked away again.

"Nice try though, thank you." Dell said a little more sincerely.

The truck's headlight's became brighter the closer they got, cutting through the mid-evening dusk and illuminating some of the bugs as they fluttered through the air.

"Just remember, I'm simply accompanying you. There is no reason for you to do anything risky or that draws attention to yourself. You are simply going to handle your business, as I am mine." Spencer finished, praying desperately that the visibly nervous man didn't blow his cover when they _really _got into the thick of things.

"I'll be fine. I've faced worse trust me." Dell said more confidently. "If things do go south though, you better not ditch me. Or at the very least try to warn me. You seem to know a lot more about these guys than I do and I'm not so sure if that makes me feel too comfortable or not."

"I won't leave you behind, trust me. If the opportunity presents itself to leave, you better take it. With or without me, if you can get out, make sure you do it." Spencer said, staring at the truck as his mind raced with what he might have to do.

"Uh, now that _really _doesn't make me feel too comfortable. Maybe you should do us both a favor and shut up until they park that truck." Dell said more coldly as he shuffled his feet. Spencer turned to the man and nodded quietly, realizing his mistake.

The older pick-up truck came to a stop with a squeak of the breaks a few feet in front of the two men. Spencer and Dell both stood unflinchingly, staring into the headlights, waiting until the two doors to the truck opened and a pair of men stepped out. They were the same two men who had paid Dell the previous visit.

"Who is this?" The larger man, the driver, asked as they came to a stop a couple of feet from Spencer and Dell.

"He's coming with me. It hardly seems right for me to go by myself. Especially somewhere I've never been before with men who I only know because they tried to steal from me." Dell said boldly, all previous signs of nervousness gone. Spencer shot a quick look at Dell, praying he wouldn't antagonize the men before they even had a chance to get started.

"Who is he though?" The larger man pressed, glaring at Spencer and looking him up and down.

"His name is 'Reid'; he's one of my most trusted men. He has as good of business sense as any man I got here. He's going to help me with whether or not you guys are giving me a fair shake. I didn't agree to this just to be made a fool of." Dell glared back at the man.

"We didn't say anything about bringing partners or friends Mr. Dell." The man said more evenly, almost threateningly.

"If you want to do this, then he's coming with me. The choice is yours. It's no skin off my back if you guys have a change of heart. You have more to gain as far as I see it, and this certainly seems to be more of an inconvenience to me than you. If you want to back out, that's fine with me." Dell challenged.

Spencer tried not to look nervous. He couldn't afford for this to fall through. Although, now that the men were there even if it did, they could always just try to follow the men back to where they came from. Spencer knew that Dell was simply, smartly, calling the other man's bluff. After another moment of unresolved silence, Dell spoke again.

"Well, tell Tony 'no hard feelings'. You can explain to him what happened. I could care less about that 'Cal' guy anyway. Have a goodnight." Dell turned to walk away.

"Search him." The big man said to his partner in quick response. In the flash of an eye, the partner was quickly frisking Spencer while the driver did the same to Dell.

"He's clean." Both men confirmed to the other.

"Ok, let's do this then." Dell said as he stared back at the men. The driver nodded his agreement.

"You take your truck, we'll take ours. I won't drive too fast but make sure you keep up. If we lose sight of you we'll stop at the first rest stop we see and we'll switch passengers so it doesn't happen again, understood?"

"Understood. I know these parts so it shouldn't be much of a problem." Dell replied easily.

The two men looked at each other and chuckled knowingly.

"Well we have a bit of a drive, so I guess we'll see. I hope you have a full tank of gas." The driver chuckled once more, hoping back into his truck and slamming the door shut. They were finally on their way.

/

The drive was tedious, that was for sure. It was also a hell of a lot farther than either Dell or Spencer had anticipated.

"This is going to be a long fucking night." Dell grumbled when he realized just how late he was going to get back to his ranch. "I'm not a spring chicken anymore and I got a hell of a lot of work to do tomorrow. I can't believe they came all this way."

"Obviously it meant enough for them to do so. Both trying to get your cattle, and getting Cal cleared of the charges." Spencer said, glancing out the window into the dark night.

He peered into the side view mirror but saw no sign of the rest of the team. He knew, instinctively, that they were there. That they were following from a good few miles back just to avoid arousing suspicion. When they had crossed into New Mexico, Spencer had the urge to call the team and see if they had any more information, but like his gun he didn't have his phone on him, just as a precaution.

"So why does this mean so much to them, and to you, Reid?" Dell turned and asked Spencer.

"It's a long story, the less you know of the better." He replied calmly.

"Don't you think I should know? Especially if I'm heading directly into this, whatever this is?" Dell pressed, pushing the pedal to his truck a little harder to ensure he kept up with the men in front of them.

"You know what you need to know, and frankly, it's not a lot more than I know to be honest. As my boss, Agent Hotchner, told you before, we are simply investigating the activities of this group. The fact that they have strayed so far from home and have been reported for multiple incidents tells us they are a ranching group that is in tough shape, and potentially, in trouble. We are simply making sure they are following government rules and regulations and aren't doing anything too criminal."

"Yeah but isn't that a job for the locals?"

"It would be, if they weren't from across state lines. By crossing the state line it becomes a federal case."

"So you knew we were heading to New Mexico then?" Dell studied the man beside him.

"No, I did not. But there have been issues in Colorado as well, so this really is of little surprise." Spencer replied confidently, internally proud of himself for explaining Dell's questions away so easily while using general facts to the case to assist him.

"Alright, well I guess I'll have to try to accept that, even if I know you're holding out on me a little." Dell sighed, still not thoroughly happy.

An awkward silence filled the cabin of the truck as the duo continued to traverse down the dark highway and then, down the darker and even more perilous side roads that they turned off onto. It seemed like the farther they went, the less there was around them, not that they could see much to begin with. They were literally in the middle of nowhere.

Spencer cracked his knuckles unknowingly, his brain more concentrated on staying focused and keeping his thoughts from straying. He was trying to form a plan of attack, but without knowing the layout of where they would be, there were too many unknown elements and variables to keep him from making a solid, fool-proof plan. Still, he stubbornly tried anyway. It was a lot better than thinking about JJ and the fact that she had been missing for a long four days.

'_Four days.'_ The voice in his head repeated chidingly. So much _could_ happen in four days, so much probably _had _happened in four days. It was painful to think about.

Spencer wanted nothing more to find JJ and be met with the sight that she was just as she left him that morning he had seen her last so long ago. Her hair perfectly groomed, her clothes neat and pressed. Her eyes bright and full of life, complimenting her soft smile so perfectly.

Luckily, the last twenty-four hours had been busy, filled with preparations on readying Dell and forming a plan to extract JJ if she was indeed being held captive where they were headed. It had allowed Spencer's mind to keep from dwelling on the painful possibilities of all that could've happened in those four days while he battled his own personal demons. Demons, that had almost, yet unsuccessfully, derailed him even if in all actuality they had helped to delay him in finding the love of his life.

'_Will she still be the same woman you fell in love with?'_ The question popped into his head. It was a question that he buried every time it came up.

'_Of course she will be.'_ He told himself simply.

It was more comforting to think that way even if he knew it was an irrational response that defied common logic. He had been in the FBI too long, seen too many horrible things, to know that simply could not be the case no matter how well-trained and strong-willed JJ was.

And yet, he held out that hope, promising himself that no matter what happened, what lengths he would have to go through, pains he would have to endure, it would all be worth it in the end, just to get her back. He didn't care how long it took, how much help she would possibly need after this, he was going to do everything it took to reclaim the woman he loved, even after he had her back physically and she may still be enduring the post traumatic stress of her ordeal.

Spencer sighed, facing forward, staring through the windshield. His heart began to pick up as he saw a row of lights come into view in the distance. Dell saw them too, his grip on the stirring wheel visibly tightening. The lights slowly became bigger, growing brighter. At first look, the lights were far enough away that they appeared to be on the ground. But as they gradually drew closer, the lights were soon towering over them.

Spencer calculated how long it had taken them to reach the base of the wall, from when the lights had first come into view. Considering everything he was able to observe through the obscure darkness, he rationalized that his team would have to set up their perimeter a good two miles away so as not to be seen. They would have to cut the lights on their SUVs four to five miles away.

The land was rocky and flat, the place they had stopped at large and walled off like a fortress. The place was designed so that any encroaching visitors or threats could easily be spotted long before they reached the perimeter wall, an old battle tactic that started long before medieval times.

Spencer calculated it would take a ten minutes minimum for the team to reach the wall, break through, and clear the area safely if trouble arose. A lot could happen in that short time. He was going to have to be exceedingly careful if he were to try anything. He would need a fast means of escape, or a place where he could hold up and hide until the enemy was subdued. This was going to be anything but easy.

The steel bar gate connected to the tall wall open, and the truck in front of them pulled forward. Dell hit the gas and followed suit. Spencer peered through the side mirror, watching as the gate was closed and locked behind them. He took a deep calming breath, turning his attention back to what was in front of him.

Looking around, he was almost surprised to see how large the compound was. There were multiple buildings of different sizes, surrounded by farm land, all of which was encased by the towering wall. To say trying to find JJ would be like searching for a needle in haystack would be a vast overstatement, but it certainly wasn't going to be any easier than he had anticipated.

One good inference Spencer could form from seeing the massive structures was this; JJ _was _somewhere inside. The way the compound was secured from the outside world and the number of buildings that were around suggested this was the primary, but even more likely the only, place that these people lived and operated from. JJ was here, somewhere.

Their truck finally pulled to a stop in front of the largest building in the compound, some thousand feet or so from the exterior walls. Dell took an audible breath and turned to Spencer once he had shut off the truck.

"You ready for this?" He asked firmly, apparently trying to gather himself.

"This is what we're here for. Let's get in and get out quick." Spencer replied, knowing this would be anything but quick, at least for him.

"You think these guys are going to try to screw me over?" He asked, watching as the men exited from the truck in front of them.

"I think you don't have too much to worry about. Just go about business as you normally would. Hear what they have to say, and take the deal if you are comfortable with it. If not, then don't. Either way, I am merely sitting in. If they try something, we'll leave and my team will come and back us up if necessary. Just focus on what you have to do." Spencer coached, wishing at the moment that he could take his own advice.

A knocking on the driver's side window was the signal for them to get out of the truck. Both men exchanged one last glance before proceeding as told. Stepping out, Spencer noticed how cold the air had grown. His eyes scanned the perimeter, but all he could see was darkness beyond the lights on the wall.

As they walked up the path to the concrete steps, the surrounding area seemed oddly quiet. The only sound was the crunching of gravel beneath their feet. It was as if the rest of the group was sleeping, or hiding, somewhere within the buildings.

They were met at the top of the steps by two large, wooden doors. The second man, the passenger, opened the door and held it as the driver, Dell and Spencer walked through in order. The man who had been the passenger closed the door and stood behind them so that now one of the men stood on either side of them.

Spencer glanced around, taking in the build of the structure, the pictures and candles that adorned the walls. The building itself was rather modern, but it had been designed and decorated to give it more of an older, almost rustic feel to it. Their feet clomped loudly on the hardwood floor as they were led down the hallway. Spencer could see a curvy, wooden staircase to his right, but he continued on in the path they were led.

They passed a couple of closed doors, as well as the occasional man or woman who would eye them warily as they passed by on the rather wide hallway. Although Spencer hadn't seen any kids, his mind had been working feverishly to process all that he was witnessing and he was almost certain that this was indeed some sort of religious group or cult. They had been right about that part of the profile.

The group finally came to a stop in front of another set of wooden double doors. These doors were smaller, the wood more finely finished, the handles polished and made of brass. The man leading them opened the door and held it, motioning them to enter.

Dell stepped forward without hesitation while Spencer followed a bit more cautiously. Entering into the room, the smell of burning wood from a fireplace immediately filled his nostrils. Looking around quickly, Spencer also noticed there were candles set up on a nearby shelf. The room they had been brought to was meant to be some sort of lounge. There were two chairs and a futon set up around a small table near the fire place. There was also a shelf of books located on the far wall next to a small window. The place was meant to have an almost a warm, relaxing feel to it.

"Ah, you made it. I am so glad you came." A voice exclaimed, causing Spencer to search out for the sound.

Standing from his seat on the futon not far from the fireplace, was the man Spencer had been in search of. As the man stepped forward to shake their hands in welcome, Spencer felt his blood turn cold and the rage build inside of him as Tony Aceves stood before them.

He watched as Dell nodded and shook the man's hand as he introduced himself. They exchanged a few words that Spencer couldn't catch, his mind too attuned at studying the man who had taken JJ from him; the man who was potentially capable of wicked things if his history was of any evidence. The man shifted his attention from Dell over to Spencer once he had finished greeting the first man.

"And you are?" Tony asked smoothly.

Spencer cleared his throat, burying his hatred for the man.

"Uh, sorry, Spencer, Spencer Reid." He replied, grudgingly shaking Tony's cold, firm hand.

Spencer thought he saw a flash of something in Tony's eyes, almost of recognition or surprise, but the man hid it well and Spencer chalked it up to himself being a little too on edge, his mind taking note of the most minute details in search for any impending threats.

"Please, have a seat guys." Tony said informally after sizing them up one more time.

Spencer and Dell followed Tony over to the fireplace. They both took seats in the cushioned chairs while Tony returned to his seat on the futon. Two more men entered the room quietly, different than the two men they had followed, and who had since left. These men merely nodded when eye contact was made. One grabbed a wooden chair and pulled it up alongside the futon, while the other simply stood by with his arms crossed on the other side.

Spencer read the action not necessarily to be one of intimidation per se, but it was certainly done as a sign of strength. Tony had been outnumbered two to one, now they were outnumbered three to two. The action may have seemed small, but it did hold meaning.

"Would either of you care for a drink?" Tony offered, leaning forward to grab the bottle of what appeared to be red wine.

Dell and Spencer exchanged glances before accepting, thinking it wise to at least make an attempt to accept the man's hospitality. They watched as he poured half a glass for everyone before setting the bottle back down. He pushed the glasses towards them, holding his up.

"A toast, to what will hopefully be an amicable, prosperous, business deal for both of us." Tony announced.

Spencer and Dell raised their glasses as well, meeting Tony's with a loud 'ting' before each took a sip. The liquid was cool and biting as it travelled down Spencer's throat. Immediately, he set his glass down after the sip. Turning to Dell, he watched as the man took a second, quick sip, before placing his glass on the glass top of the table as well.

"Shall we begin?" Tony asked with an almost amused look on his face. He fingered the glass he held in his hand, taking another short sip as his eyes shifted from one man to the other. After another moment of silence passed and no one moved to draw the first breath, Tony leaned back and began.

"I guess it's only right that I should start. First, Mr. Dell, I apologize for the actions of my man, Cal. I was under the impression that he had been in contact with you and had indeed established a valid deal with you. I have since found that he in fact misled me. I hope you accept my apology with the understanding my personal intentions were never to mislead you, and that Cal has been punished for his actions." Tony stated coolly, his eyes firmly set on Henry Dell.

Dell reached forward for the glass, taking another sip to help calm his nerves under the unwavering gaze of the man across from them. When he was finished with his sip, he licked his lips.

"Apology accepted, I'm not looking for any trouble here. I go about my business and that's it." Dell replied, his voice not sounding nearly as firm as it had just an hour before in the truck.

"Of that, I have no doubt. But you must understand too about how tough times are. This drought has been brutal for us, as I'm sure it has been for you. Despite his actions, I do realize Cal was merely trying to help us. I was hoping he could talk you into reaching a mutually beneficial agreement. While he failed and was deceitful, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was at least a little disappointed that you decided to get law enforcement involved; that really wasn't necessary." Tony replied, the tone of his words giving him immediate control of the conversation.

This was immediately picked up on by Spencer, who sat by quietly, watching as the two men interacted, taking every opportunity to try and read and predict the man in front of him. He was strong, confident, both physically and seemingly mentally. He also had an air about him, an edginess that suggested he was in fact not a man to be taken lightly. As much as Spencer wanted to interrupt, to ask his own questions, he found it best to blend in and not attract attention to himself for the time being.

"You're right that this drought has caused us some trouble. But we are doing what we have to, to get by. I wouldn't have called the police, except your man couldn't take 'no' for an answer. As much as I would have preferred not making this a matter for the police, Cal didn't exactly give me much choice. Whatever problem you have with me calling the police should be held against him, not me." Dell replied more firmly, yet wisely choosing his words carefully.

Tony chuckled into his glass as he took another sip. The sip masked whether it was a genuine laugh or a rueful action meant to hide his displeasure.

"I think we should move past this and begin the negotiations. I am not one to take to arguing and I certainly didn't bring you here to do that. I know you came a long way and I would hate to keep you for too long." Tony said, although Spencer was pretty sure he could tell the man was at least partially lying. Dell nodded quietly his agreement.

The men continued talking back and forth as Spencer sat there and continued to observe. More wine was passed around and as the night drew on, the conversation became a little freer. After about an hour, it appeared a deal had been struck, although the look on Dell's face suggested that he wasn't overly thrilled. He seemed more interested in reaching an amicable agreement that would allow him to leave quickly, and safely, while knowing that if any trouble did occur, the FBI wouldn't be too far away. He had the ultimate trump card; he just didn't want to have to use it. He liked his life; he had no reason to take risks.

Tony, on the other hand remained seated in a relaxed position on the futon. Throughout the night he appeared exceedingly confident bordering on outright smug. This confidence, this control of the situation, only fueled Spencer's full blown hate for the man. The man before him had the upper hand in the situation and he knew it. Even if it wasn't the situation Tony thought it was. Tony thought he had the upper hand in the cattle deal, technically he didn't. Tony was clueless that Spencer was there for JJ, and yet the irony was that was the situation he currently controlled the most.

"Well, I think we have the makings of a solid agreement, one we can both find content in." Tony spoke, drawing Spencer from his thoughts. When Dell didn't reply, Tony pressed him.

"Wouldn't you agree?"

"I agree to the deal. But I also hope you realize this means you leave me alone from here on out. This is a one-time agreement." Dell replied.

"Absolutely. You can trust me to be a man of my word. You won't see any of us on your land again. And, if you do happen to see Cal there again for some reason, you have my permission to shoot him or do whatever you would like with him." Tony said coldly, a dark tone in his voice.

Dell stared at the man, wondering if he was crazy, or simply making a bold statement to try to put him at ease. Regardless, he didn't feel as though the man's words held much weight. He simply wanted to finish up and get out of there.

Tony shifted on the futon and sat forward, putting his now empty glass on the table next to the nearly empty bottle. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a paper stick that looked a bit like a cigarette.

"Care to have a smoke in celebration?" He offered, motioning to one of his men to find him a match.

"Uh, I'm all set. I still need to get back and I think the drink was enough." Dell replied, knowing wisely that they wouldn't be smoking a cigarette. Tony looked a little disappointed but shrugged it off.

"What about your friend there? You've been quiet the whole night." Tony said, turning his attention to Spencer.

"Not much to say, I'm just here to assist Henry in any way I can." He replied simply.

"What'd you say your name was again?" Tony asked shortly, his eyes looking over Reid in an attempt to unnerve him.

"Spencer Reid."

"Ah, yeah, that's right. Spencer…I have to say, for some reason, that name sounds a little familiar. I'm not sure why because in all honesty I don't think I've ever met a Spencer before." Tony replied as his man handed him a match.

"Spencer isn't a very common name compared to names like Henry or even Tony, so I'm not too surprised." He replied, wondering what Tony's end game was. To Henry Dell it may have seemed more like small talk, but Spencer knew there may be more to it, he had to be cautious.

"Um-hm and why are you here again Spencer? Not trying to be a pain, but I'm just curious. We don't get a lot of visitors and it seems like Henry here has been perfectly capable of handling his business on his own. You've just been invisible."

"I'm just doing what Henry told me. He brought me along in case this went late or if we need to finalize any of the details. He needs to get back; he has a very busy day tomorrow. If he needs me to stay behind to finish up, I will."

Tony seemed to consider Spencer's response before turning to Dell.

"Is that the case?" He asked.

"It is. I trust Spencer more than any of my other men, and he is arguably the smartest." Dell replied immediately.

"Ok, I'm satisfied. I just had to make sure. Chalk it up to my own insecurities from having one drink too many." Tony smiled after a tense pause had settled over the room.

"So, Spencer, care to have a smoke with me?" Tony offered as he held up the paper stick and match.

Spencer opened his mouth to reply, when he was interrupted by a firm knock on the door. Everyone turned around as silence fell over the room.

"Uh, excuse me for a moment won't you boys?" Tony said as he stood, pocketing the items he had held in his hand.

"I think it's time for us to go. This could be our perfect chance." Dell leaned over and whispered, causing Spencer to turn back around, away from the door.

"Not yet, I haven't had a chance to establish my reason for staying behind." Spencer whispered sharply.

"You just did a minute ago." Dell replied more nervously.

"I don't think he completely buys it yet, you need to help me sell it."

"I thought I just did!" Dell's voice rose a little.

"Listen, when he comes back we'll finish it and you can go. Make him know I have to stay behind, just so you feel comfortable that the terms of the deal are met and have been overseen. Once he buys it, by all means go." Spencer replied, eyeing the men who remained in close proximity, but out of earshot.

"Fine, but if you think he's not sold yet, then how do you know he trusts you? You know he's probably going to want you to smoke with him." Dell warned.

"If that's what I have to do to help establish trust, then that's what I'll do. I can't afford to have this blow up." Spencer stated.

Dell leaned back, signaling he was done talking, but not before he rolled his eyes to let the FBI agent know he thought the man was crazy.

Spencer frowned slightly, turning away. He turned back around, looking over his shoulder out of curiosity to see where Tony went. The sight his eyes were met with, made Spencer's heart stop.


	34. Finding JJ

**AN: Thank you to muccia12, Arwennicole, Wren Calhoun, Tauri888, cm-fan, Paige-Rawr, LaRieNGuBleR, and kaskowitzs for taking the time to review. There are warnings this chapter for some language and suggestive themes, but nothing too bad compared to other previous parts of this story. **

Standing in the doorway, slightly obscured from view, appeared to be a blonde woman. But not just any blonde woman, the familiar woman looked like _JJ_.

Spencer tilted forward, straining out of desperation to see around Tony and the door that was only partially open. He prayed that he wasn't seeing things, that it was really her. Because if it was, then he had all the confirmation he needed. He could send Dell out, to retrieve the team, while Spencer hung back and played Tony's game, potentially buying them some time until the cavalry arrived.

Finally, the petite woman stepped more into view, towards Tony. Spencer watched in disgust as Tony wrapped his hands around her slim waist, leaning down and claiming her lips hungrily with his. When the kiss broke, the blonde took a step back, but Tony kept her close, entwining his fingers in hers.

They stood there for another moment, in the doorway, as Spencer's heart began to beat out of his chest. The suspense was almost too much after all he had been through. As much as a part of him almost wished the woman wasn't JJ, he told himself it would be better this way; that at least he would now know where she was and that she was indeed alive.

Spencer watched as Tony appeared to be talking with someone else, a woman it appeared, although she too was rather obscured. From what little he could see she appeared to be a bit older, with dark, kind of stringy hair. The woman appeared to say something, her voice sharp, before departing with one final glance over her shoulder. Tony appeared to sigh, his shoulders dropping a little, before he turned and motioned the blonde to come into the room with him.

Spencer found it hard to breathe, realizing in that moment, that he had actually been holding his breath as the woman came into full view for the first time. Spencer's eyes widen, his heart soaring with almost a weird type of joy given the circumstances, as he saw that the woman _was _JJ.

'I found her.' Spencer said to himself.

/

JJ slowly walked into the room, her hand clasped tightly with Tony's. She tried to pretend that it was normal, that she was accepting him, even if in reality she was still disgusted with him; she still couldn't stand him. After all he had put her through, after all he was allowing Camilla to put her through, JJ wanted nothing more than for the man beside her to rot in hell. Instead, she was stuck with him, with no help in sight.

JJ hadn't given up hope, she refused to let herself do so no matter how much time she spent with Tony, or how many sessions she had with Camilla. Over the last day JJ had become less confrontational, turning more amicable to her living arrangements, even if it was only purely out of necessity. In turn, Tony had been kinder, gentler with her, trying his damndest to get her to connect with him more on an emotional level.

JJ played her part, acting as though he was beginning to reach her, making her feel sympathetic towards him. Obviously, that wasn't the case, and at times JJ found that she had to remind herself of this; to keep the role she was "playing" from actually becoming her. She didn't want to have a warped sense of reality.

Luckily, she was strong mentally, but after four days and numerous types of physical and mental torture, JJ reminded herself that even the strongest person would begin to cave. Accepting what was happening to her, what _had happened_ to her, was becoming harder and harder to do. At times, it seemed almost easier to simply accept her new life and try to make the most out of it; however the hell she was supposed to do that.

Regardless, JJ had vowed to never lose the hope she had, the faith and trust she held for Spencer and her team. She had to do whatever it took to survive until they found her, and so far she had done just that.

Stepping farther into the room, after having been passed off to Tony from Camilla after another taxing mental session, JJ realized there were multiple people in the room. The first two she recognized as Tony's men, simply by the looks of them and the way they were carrying themselves. The other two, were seated with the chairs turned away from her.

As she moved closer, the feel of Tony's hand in hers still very evident, JJ took note of the other two men for the first time. The first hardly stood out to her at all in any meaningful way. The second nearly caused JJ to gasp out loud, her heart racing and filling with joy.

At first the rational part of her brain told her that she was seeing things, that her mind was merely playing some sort of cruel joke on her. However as she passed him, her eyes scanning him quickly for the briefest of moments, the faint scent of his cologne wafting up her nose, just enough to alert her senses through the smell of the wood smoke, JJ knew that the man seated nearest to her was, in fact, her dear Spencer Reid.

JJ was tempted to rip her hand from Tony's grasp, rushing to Spencer and embracing him in a full-bodied hug so tight that no strength in prying fingers would ever be able to rip her away from him again. She could feel his eyes on her, appraising her out of pure care and worry, and in that moment everything came back to her.

She turned away, feeling ashamed by what he might find and what his smart, analytical mind might deduce. She also realized he wasn't dressed like his normal self, remained seated in a stationary, rigid position, and that he was trying his hardest to almost _not _recognize her. It was then that JJ's heart dropped just a little. She realized that while he had finally found her, after so long, she still wasn't out of the woods yet. The rest of her team was nowhere to be seen. Spencer was clearly undercover.

While in many ways her situation had changed drastically for the better, JJ still wasn't free yet; certainly not with the strong, dangerous man so close in her proximity. JJ realized that she would still have to play her role, and even worse, she may have to do so in front of Spence. The next few moments could very well turn out to be her worst moments of torture yet; so close to her freedom, and yet so far.

/

Spencer was unable to tear his eyes from her. He appraised every inch of JJ as she stepped closer, his eyes searching for any signs of harm that may have been inflicted upon her.

Physically, she appeared to be ok for the most part. From what he could see there were no signs of broken bones or deep lacerations of any sort. He could see an assortment of bruises on her long legs here and there, easy to see as she was dressed in a short pair of jean shorts that ended precariously at the tops of her thighs.

He could also see a few marks on her neck. One appeared to be a bruise, while two of the others, sickeningly, appeared to be hickeys just under the collar of the red plaid-checkered shirt she was also dressed in. If she had been dressed slightly differently, she could almost pass for Daisy Duke herself, another thought that was nauseating in its own right. Apparently Tony had her dressed to fit in, only adding a twist that was more to his preference.

Moving higher, Spencer briefly noticed JJ's lips looked swollen, her face a little pale, and her hair rather wavy, as if it had previously been curled. She didn't look terrible by any means, but she also didn't look like the JJ he remembered, and as much as Spencer had expected it, the fact still worried him.

After he had quickly, thoroughly looked her over, he tore his eyes away, reminding himself that Tony was right behind her and that it would be unwise to be caught by the man as he seemingly leered at JJ. As they walked by him to his left, walking in front of the fireplace and towards the futon, Spencer took what he knew would be a major risk; he met her eyes.

At first it appeared as though she was desperately trying to avoid him, to pretend that he wasn't there even though he could plainly tell that she knew. He had known JJ too long not to be able to read even her most minute facial expressions. But as she took a seat on the futon with Tony, practically in his lap, she had no choice but to face him.

Spencer could see her battling internally with herself, her eyes remaining lowered, focused on Tony's hand as his fingers began to trace circles on her bare leg. It took all of Spencer's will power to not jump across the table and beat the living shit out of the man as he watched him run his hand gently up and down JJ's legs, pulling her body closer into his as he did so. Finally, the sound of Tony's voice boomed in Spencer's ears as it cut through the thick silence in the room.

"I apologize for the interruption guys. My lovely lady here just finished up with her classes for the day, and I've decided to have her join us for these last few minutes before we depart. I want her to have some insight into how these business deals work; she's a _very_ smart woman." Tony complimented, his free hand brushing JJ's hair away so he could place a gentle kiss right behind her ear. Spencer watched her chest hitch, holding her breath until Tony's lips left her skin.

"She's very pretty, what's her name?" Dell spoke, earning a death glare from Spencer. The man had only been attempting to be polite, Spencer rationalized, he didn't actually know the gravity of the situation.

"Her name is _Jennifer_, and yes she is quite lovely isn't she? I'm _very _happy with her, which is why I have made her my fiancée." Tony stated proudly, grabbing JJ's wrist and holding her hand out so both men could appraise the ring on his prize.

Spencer eyed the ring, Tony's words still ringing in his head. He bit his lip hard to keep himself from protesting or blowing his cover. In that moment he wanted nothing more than to rip the ring from JJ's hand, throw it as far as he could, and bring her to safety, holding her tightly in his arms so that he could take all her pain away.

"What do you think, Spencer?" Tony asked after he had retracted her hand. Spencer swallowed hard, clearing the bile from his throat before he spoke.

"It's very nice. You are a very lucky man." Spencer was able to grind out through his clenched teeth. His response caused JJ to tilt her head up, her blue eyes meeting his for the first time.

Spencer returned her stare for as long as he could safely manage, allowing the pain, fear and almost dullness of her eyes to set in. He had never seen her eyes look like that in his life, and it almost shattered his heart to see her that way.

And yet, just as he felt his heart was indeed going to break, he saw the corners of her lips turn up in the slightest. The smallest of smiles had formed on her lips, enough so that they reached her eyes, just a little. It was in that moment that Spencer realized that despite everything she may have gone through, _his_ JJ was still there, buried deep beneath the exterior shield she had built up to protect herself from the man whose arms she was currently trapped in. In her eyes, he could see a glimmer of hope, that she still trusted him, had faith in him, to rescue her from the hell she had spent four days in.

Finally, he looked away as much as it killed him, knowing if he didn't Tony would become suspicious and defensive. JJ followed suit, tilting her head back down and turning slightly towards the man beside her.

"Are you going to tell me their names?" She asked him, almost shyly.

Tony chuckled, stroking her thigh as he studied her face. As much as they had tried to hide it, Tony had caught the glance between JJ and Spencer. Something felt off to him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the look he had caught almost suggested that they knew each other.

While he could easily out them, to put them on notice, Tony was one to make his decisions carefully. He decided it would be more interesting to play their game, for now. For one, he would certainly have the man across from him at a disadvantage. For two, he could use it as a way of getting more from the woman beside him if he played things right. He was always looking for ways to make her more submissive to him, and if his suspicions were founded, then he had potentially found a form of motivation for her cooperation.

"Of course my dear, I apologize for my lack of manners. These men are Henry Dell, and _Spencer _something-or-other. I don't remember his last name." Tony said as he stared at her closely, looking for a reaction.

"_Reid_." Spencer corrected him.

Tony looked away from JJ and back over to Spencer.

"_Reid_…of course, my apologies." Tony slithered, his eyes dark. He saw the way Spencer was trying his hardest not to look at the woman Tony had in his possession. He also remembered, suddenly, the name JJ had quietly whispered in her sleep just before he woke her for their first night of love making.

'_Spence…'_

It began to click for Tony, even if he still didn't have all the pieces. _This_ man who was seated across from him was very likely the one and only _Spence_. How and why he was really here Tony wasn't entirely sure, but his guard was up and he was confident he could find out in short order.

But first, it would be more fun to string the man along a little. To flex his muscle and show the power he held. He shifted his hands to JJ's hips, gripping them tightly. Applying pressure, he used his strength to pull her into his lap. JJ let out a sharp hiss of pain as he absently touched her brand, but she didn't bother to fight him, she was too wise for that by now, and she most certainly didn't want to embarrass herself in the company they now found themselves in.

"Oh, I'm sorry baby, I forgot all about that." Tony said sympathetically, wiping a tear that had formed away with his finger. The obvious pain that JJ was in didn't go unnoticed by Spencer, and only served to further enrage him.

With her bottom pressed firmly to his groin, Tony gently leaned her head back, resting it on his shoulder. The warmth of her body radiating against him was intoxicating. He could feel her breathing increase, as a result of her being uncertain as to what he was going to do.

Stroking her lovely hair behind her ear, Tony leaned in and found the spot on her neck that he so loved. He stared across to Spencer, his eyes never wavering from the man as he devoured the sensitive spot on JJ's neck, feeling the satisfaction he earned as she closed her eyes and held her breath.

Henry Dell shifted uncomfortably and turned away at the suddenly personal, intimate show that was taking place in front of him. Beside him, Spencer also looked away, his head turning away towards Dell just so he would have an excuse to not watch. And so that he could contain the last ounce of self-control that he had left.

When Tony saw that Spencer had turned away, Tony's dominance as the current alpha male in JJ's life established, his lips let go off JJ's neck with a suctioned 'pop'.

"I'm sorry; sometimes I just can't help myself." Tony explained away casually. "I promise to be more controlled until we finish. Let's just make this quick, me and my love here like to spend some time together before we hit the hay."

Spencer glared at the man, getting a bad feeling from the look in the man's eyes and the way he chose his words. There was something even more dangerous and edgy than what had existed before. He couldn't put his finger on it, but Spencer knew he had to raise his guard another level.

"Where were we?" Tony asked, almost innocently. Dell cleared his throat to respond.

"I believe we have reached a deal. There were just a few small details to take care of, and I was going to ask if my man Reid here could stay behind to oversee the finalization of our deal while I return home." Dell summarized quickly.

Tony looked back and forth between the two men, his mind scheming while his face remained completely neutral. Finally, his face softened a little and he smiled at the two men.

"Of course, how forgetful of me." Tony nodded his agreement. "Yes, I am happy with the deal we have reached. And now, I remember we were going to have a smoke in celebration of our amicable agreement."

Spencer watched as Tony reached into his pocket to retrieve the items he had placed inside, his body shifting JJ in his lap a little as he moved.

"I remember Mr. Dell that you said no thank you to my celebratory offer because you have to drive home. But you, Spencer, I don't remember your response." Tony stared at the man across from him. He could see the brief moment's hesitation in the man's eyes. He could also see he was still trying to ignore the blonde Tony held in his lap, as she too tried to ignore his existence.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I'm really not a smoker." Spencer replied after gauging how he thought such a response would go over. Tony frowned, putting the closed lighter down on the table.

"Now that's disappointing. Nothing wrong with a little smoke, especially to help take the edge off. Isn't that right baby?" He asked as he turned to JJ, the back of his hand stroking her cheek lightly. JJ remained quiet, trying her hardest to force herself to lean into his touch.

"I can tell you that Jennifer here _loves _a good smoke to help relax, at least she did the other night. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that." Tony smiled, his hand travelling down her chest, further parting the material of her shirt as he went. Spencer had to mentally distract himself so as to not follow the path of Tony's hand as it dipped lower and lower. Finally, he pulled his hand away and JJ let out the breath she had been holding.

"However, Spencer, I do appreciate your honesty, and I respect your wishes. Perhaps a smoke at another time would be more appropriate. It is getting late and as I said before, I still have a long night ahead. Jennifer is quite the frisky one." Tony said, enjoying the dark look that clouded Spencer's eyes as the man turned back to Dell.

JJ, for her part, was mortified that all this was happening, and that there was little she could do about it. She told herself to keep maintaining, to hang on for a little longer, until Spencer made his move. She knew he was calculating, planning, and that he could act at any time. When he did, even though she didn't know the plan, JJ knew she had to be ready. It could be a matter of life and death.

"So you don't mind if I have Spencer stay behind, just for the night? He'll oversee everything, then leave with what you agreed to give us in the morning." Dell stayed, pressing Tony at Spencer's silent urging. A malicious looking grin formed on Tony's face, a twisted look that conveyed joyfulness but held dark tones underneath the surface.

"I don't mind at all, I think it's a great idea, and you are certainly within your rights to make such a request." Tony agreed readily.

"Ok, it's settled then." Dell nodded.

"That it is." Tony said, patting JJ's good hip with his hand in order for her to get off his lap. The group all stood together and Tony reached across the table, shaking Henry's hand firmly.

"Thank you for being so reasonable Mr. Dell, and it was a pleasure to meet you." Tony said genuinely.

"You as well." Dell replied falsely.

"One of my men will lead you out. Please, have a safe trip home." Tony offered before turning to Spencer. "And you, Spencer, I will have you stay in one of our special guest rooms. I will be sure you are provided with what you need in order to make your stay as hospitable as possible." Tony made a motion with his hand to one of the men that were standing nearby, a signal of some sort.

"Thank you." Spencer replied, his eyes locked on Tony's. He still felt like he may be missing something, that Tony was still, somehow, one step ahead of him.

"My pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take my leave for the night. All this talk has me feeling a little energized." Tony smiled, turning to look at JJ.

JJ's head remained almost bowed, her eyes on the floor. Spencer watched as Tony wrapped his arm around her waist and turned her in-synch with his motions. Together, they walked out; Tony making sure to let his hand wander from JJ's lower back down to her ass, giving it a firm squeeze for all to see. Spencer gritted his teeth hard before forcing himself to focus. He had mere seconds to pass his message to Dell before Tony's men closed in and heard the conversation.

"Great work Mr. Dell. When you get outside head straight for my team. When you see them, tell them mission accomplished and that the target is live. She _is _here. They will know what to do from there." Spencer whispered quickly.

"Who is here? Jennifer?" Dell questioned, his voice a little louder than Spencer would've liked.

"It doesn't matter, just _please_ tell them what I told you. And do it quick, time is imperative." Spencer finished abruptly when Tony's men descended upon them. Dell met Spencer's eyes and quietly nodded his understanding.

"Good luck, I'll see you in the morning." Dell said, shaking Spencer's hand while keeping the ruse going. With that, Dell turned and left through the door in which they came as Spencer watched.

"Mr. Reid, if you would, please come with me." Tony's other man gestured towards the door.

Spencer paused for a second, taking one last look at the room before moving for the door. He was entrenched in the compound, he knew JJ was nearby and alive, now he just had to find a way to rescue her and get them both out of the compound safely. Hopefully, with the help of the team if things went the way they were supposed to.

/

Tony walked with JJ up the last set of stairs, back towards his room as his hand continued to caress her body. His mind was racing. Was he in danger with the presence of this Spencer fellow? He couldn't be sure.

He would find out soon enough however, and it all started with the woman beside him. The woman he loved so much, and yet, the one who may be trying to play him for a fool, even after all this time. He knew she knew more than she was letting on, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

They reached the door and Tony retrieved his key. Unlocking the door, he led her inside as she obediently did as she was supposed to. Tony closed the door, slipping his key into the lock as he let out a deep sigh. He could sense that the blonde was still right behind him, facing him, standing right where he had left her.

Staring at the door once it had been properly locked, Tony tried to take another deep breath to keep the rage inside of him from boiling over. Slowly, he pulled the since-fixed key chain back around his neck where it belonged. After another long pause, his mind still running through different scenarios, different dangers, different punishments, Tony was still angry. He couldn't take it anymore; he was _pissed_.

Reeling around without warning, he raised his hand and backhanded the blonde hard across her cheek. The stinging 'slap' echoed throughout the room as she crashed to the floor, the blow completely unexpected and out of the norm of his usual actions. He had never hit her in the face before then.

As the stunned woman tried to regroup, Tony reached down and picked her up roughly by the soft material of her shirt. Their faces were mere inches apart as he spat in a rage-filled voice.

"Who the fuck is this Spencer guy you lying little bitch?!"

**AN: I know, the suspense is brutal and it might seem like I'm still stringing this along a bit. I promise, we are closing in on the conclusion and it should be good!**


	35. Fighting For Their Lives

**AN: Thank you to Wren Calhoun, crazyobsession101, Arwennicole, marcallie, langely, LaRieNGuBleR, anon, cm-fan, muccia12, gohan108 for reviewing. All of the feedback to the last chapter was INCREDIBLE and I really appreciate it!**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter; it is a little broken up because a lot is happening at once. Also, I tried very hard to keep the characters in-character, while fitting them into the situation of the story. I think you'll understand better what I mean once you've read it. There are some content warnings for potential language, violence and suggestive themes; though I'm sure you expect that with this story by now. I apologize it took me so long to post today, but the site was giving me some trouble. Onto the story!**

Spencer was sure to make every effort in processing what he saw of the compound as he was led through the main building by Tony's man. It was at this moment that he was glad to have an eidetic memory. If he later found himself racing through the compound, JJ in tow, he would be able to recall exactly which way to go; at least in terms of what he had seen compared to what he hadn't. He knew exactly how to get back to the main door through which he had entered with Dell earlier.

Now, as he found himself being walked deeper and deeper into the compound, Spencer was very happy that he had another strong night of sleep the previous night, thanks to the sleeping pills. He felt mentally strong and he was going to need to be. From what he could read of Tony's face in that room, he knew the man had something up his sleeve. Spencer had entered the room knowing he couldn't trust the man to begin with, but now he had the sense that the man could truly be psychotic based off some of the small nuances of Tony's behavior.

They reached the end of the long, winding hall, having travelled further from the main door. Spencer followed Tony's man as they traversed down a wooden set of stairs that ended at the beginning of another long hallway that looked very similar to the previous one. Spencer couldn't be sure, but he almost wondered if he were now technically underground. He had tried to ask the man leading him questions as they went, but so far the man had been rather unfriendly and non-responsive.

Spencer continued to scan the area around him, making sure to keep a confident demeanor, meeting the eyes of those he passed as they shot him looks and appraised him. He wanted to get a sense for what he was getting himself into, beyond Tony, and from what he could tell, most of the people in the colony didn't seem to be threatening. There were plenty of women, but there were also children; it wasn't just a male colony.

This presented an interesting dynamic to Spencer. It almost suggested to him that perhaps there were two worlds to this colony. One that was strict, and potentially devoutly religious, intent on living a simple life and avoiding conflict with the outside world. The other world was the one led by Tony, the underground side, the side that maybe some members of the colony didn't even suspect was taking place. Sure, they would have to have their suspicions, but if Spencer were to reveal to them some of the darker happenings, he almost believed that some of them would truly be blindsided.

Walking further down the hallway, Spencer noted the large man heading in their direction. Immediately, he recognized the man to be the one the team had seen on the surveillance camera at the video store, buying the trackers that had been affixed to the SUVs. As he drew closer in proximity to the man, Spencer realized they still hadn't identified the man, but Spencer could clearly tell it was him. He tried not to stare at the man too hard, but rather looked at him through his periphery as they passed on the hallway, the other man appearing to not give a second thought to him as they walked by each other.

Spencer turned his attention back ahead, realizing that Tony's man in front of him was slowing to a halt. They stopped in front of a wooden door, the wood unfinished, giving the impression that the room may still be a work in progress which Spencer found to be a little odd. He also noted that Tony's man pulled out an older-styled key from his pocket to unlock the door. Using the key, the lock gave way and the man motioned for Spencer to enter the room after he had turned the light on.

Spencer cautiously stepped forward, peering into the room carefully. It suddenly became very apparent to him that this was in fact not a bedroom, but something else. It was something that merely confirmed his suspicions about whether or not Tony was onto him. A hard push to his back from the man behind him and Spencer realized it was truly game on.

/

Paul waited until he had rounded the corner to stop and take a deep breath. His brain was spinning from what he had just seen. This latest development had been unexpected; at least coming at this time.

Paul had been going about his business as usual, returning from another long day of work, when suddenly it all hit him by seeing that man. Tony had screwed up, royally. And, whether Tony knew it or not, his reign at the colony would come to an end real quick. Now Paul just had to find a way to cover his own ass, to build some sort of compromise, to ensure that he wouldn't spend the rest of his life in jail, and so that he could finally take his rightful place as the colony's leader.

The site he had seen in the hallway made him need a minute to re-gather himself. As he had walked down the hallway, towards John and the other man, he quickly remembered who the other man was.

Flashing back, Paul recalled sitting in the truck, bored, waiting while Cal continued to scout out the precinct in preparation of making their grab later that day. He had just happened to glance over at the precinct when a taxi cab had pulled up, letting a skinny, nerdy-looking man out in front of the walkway. While Paul's vision wasn't the best, he had grabbed a set of lookers they had stored in the glove compartment so as to be more discreet when scouting out the blonde target from afar. Looking through the binoculars, Paul had been surprised to see the FBI credentials and standard issued glock situated around the skinny man's waist. This was the only reason the man had left an impression on Paul; because he would've never guessed the man to be a full blown FBI agent.

Now, as Paul stood around the corner, back to the wall, he knew it was the same man. When they had passed, Paul had noticed the skinny man looking at him from the corner of his eye. But Paul had been so deep in thought it wasn't until he had realized he knew the man that the idea made him freeze. Now he stood there, processing the information, realizing that if one FBI agent was here, undercover or not, then the rest of the group couldn't be too far behind.

The pretty blonde, Jennifer's, friends were here to rescue her. They had tracked down the colony, as Paul had suspected they might from the moment Tony had pointed her out to him and told him she was the one they were going to grab. The plan, it appeared, was going to fail after all, just as Paul had suspected it was doomed to be.

Now, he had a choice to make. He could either go down in a blaze of glory, doing what was supposed to be his duty in helping to protect Tony and the colony. Or, he could protect the colony from Tony by handing the man over to the law enforcement agents, finding a way to help the two FBI agents currently in the compound in the process.

Either option would be dangerous. Trying to help the FBI after all he had done, after carrying out the woman's kidnapping and sitting by while he had a strong idea of what Tony was doing to her and doing nothing to stop it, would be tricky and might not necessarily work.

But to Paul, it may prove to be his best option. Tony was due for a comeuppance and Paul felt almost more than happy to assist in just that. As long as the colony didn't feel betrayed and realized that he was truly acting out of the best interests of the group. He knew of some of the illegal undertakings Tony was involved in behind the scenes, but Paul was pretty sure that many in the group were not. It was time to expose Tony for who he was, and it was time to get rid of Tony once and for all. This meant to start, trying to get the FBI on his side, so things would hopefully work in his favor.

Taking a deep breath, Paul pushed himself from the wall and rounded back around the corner from which he had come. He could already hear sounds coming from the room where John had led the skinny FBI agent. Not seeing another option, Paul decided to take his chances, and open the door.

/

"I asked you a question! Who is he?!" Tony growled, his eyes dangerously dark and angry looking.

JJ's head was spinning, her cheek still stinging and her ear ringing from the resounding slap she had just sustained.

"You don't want to give me an answer?!" He roared, shaking her viciously in his grip.

"Tony, please." JJ was almost surprised to find herself pleading, but the man appeared to be in an exceedingly dangerous state of mind and her head was still spinning. She was going to have to think fast if she wanted to talk herself out of this one.

"You don't deserve any sympathy, especially if you've been lying to me this whole time! I know you know who he is, now tell me!" Tony threatened, raising his hand as if to strike her again.

"Wait!" JJ shouted louder, causing him to freeze his hand in place above his head.

Tony eyed her as she paused. JJ tried her damndest to soften her face, to look more seductive and willing, to hide her fear. She needed to reach him on an emotional level so that she could do so on a physical level, it was the only way to distract him.

"I'm waiting." Tony grumbled, becoming impatient.

"Please Tony, don't do this. He's not important. All that matters is that we're here…together…you have me…all alone." JJ began, bringing her arms up and wrapping them tenderly around his neck.

"Don't you think we could spend our time here, together, being more productive?" She suggested softly, forcing herself to stand on her tiptoes and bring her lips to his cheek. Tony's hand lowered and JJ could feel his muscles relax just a little.

"That man…" he began.

"Means nothing to me…" JJ finished, whispering, as she ghosted her lips over his.

Trying not to gag, she kissed him with all the passion she could muster, her hands rubbing his tense shoulder muscles in an effort to relax him. Gradually, she could feel him begin to melt in her arms as she forced her tongue inside his mouth, teasing him. As nauseous as it made her feel, JJ forced herself to compartmentalize, telling herself that her actions really meant nothing, and that this was truly a matter of life or death. The stakes had clearly been raised.

"Come on To-ny…let's have some fun…" She cooed, her lips kissing a similar path on his body as he had done to her many times over.

While he had obviously relaxed some, JJ could still feel his resistance to her advances. He still felt threatened, he still wanted answers. Unfortunately, she was going to have to try a little harder.

Grabbing one of his hands, she brought it gently up to her face, delicately kissing each of his fingertips as she eyed him. When she had completed her task, she guided the hand to the opening of her shirt and brought it down to her chest, letting his fingers find their way inside her bra.

"Isn't this better?" She asked as she stared at him intently. She removed her hands from his, allowing his to do the work on its own now. Ignoring the feel of his touch, she continued about her mission.

"We can do anything you like tonight. I'm sorry I made you angry…I'm tired of fighting. I want to make it up to you." She smiled almost shyly, forcing her eyes to remain locked on his after giving him another kiss on the cheek.

She could see the internal debate going on inside of his head. She knew how much he wanted her, how long he had been waiting for this moment. JJ told herself it was now or never to go all out. Her hands were free; she wasn't under the influence of drugs. This may be the only opportunity she got. Four days worth of futile struggles, both physical and mental, had built up to this moment and it was time for her to play her hand.

"This is what you wanted…isn't it?" She said seductively, forcing her hips against his, grinding her body on his.

"Yes…" Tony's lips finally turned up into a smile as he watched her.

He enjoyed the feel of her tight little body against his, the feel of her creamy skin beneath his fingertips. She was intoxicating. The rage he felt earlier had simmered. Looking at her red, bruising cheek, he felt upset with himself that he had lost his temper with his beautiful woman.

Now she was his and she was going to make things up to him. It was music to his ears, the moment he had wanted so badly; when she would willingly give herself to him. They could both enjoy each other, fully, lovingly as it was meant to be.

"Close your eyes Tony…" JJ requested lightly.

Hesitating for just a moment, he did as she asked when he felt her small hand travel lower from its spot on his neck. His body tingled as he felt the trail her small fingers teased down his chest, to his stomach, and then lower to his groin. He tensed, groaning in pleasure when she cupped him.

"That feels good…doesn't it?" JJ whispered seductively against the edge of his ear.

"You know it does, baby." He replied with a smile.

"Good…I bet you're going to enjoy this part even better…" JJ continued, making sure her other hand was still placed where it needed to be on his neck.

"I can't wait…" Tony groaned with anticipation.

Without giving it a second thought, JJ abruptly moved into action, taking the one chance she knew she had left. She dug her fingers harder into his groin, until she knew the pleasure would turn into discomfort. Tony's face began to contort, his eyes about to open. With one swift motion, JJ let go of her grip on him and brought her knee up hard, making sure not to miss this time.

Tony grunted and his eyes shot open as her knee caught him square between the legs. With her other hand on his neck, JJ tugged with all her might to rip the new chain, and the key attached to it, from his neck.

Tony bent forward, moving to protect his sore man region. He wasn't quick enough however before JJ was able to added a second blow with her knee. He howled in pain, instinctively crumpling to his knees after the second shot.

"Son of a bitch!" He yelped, in too much pain to even notice that JJ had ripped the key from around his neck once again.

JJ took a step back, preparing her next move, knowing that two blows to the groin would not be enough to buy herself the needed time. Twisting her body, she shot her leg forward and roundhouse-kicked the hunched over man in his chest. He fell back to the floor on impact, and JJ gasped out in pain at the feel of one of her toes breaking from the contact with his solid chest.

"Shit." She cursed under her breath as the toe began to throb. She didn't have any time to worry about that right now however, reminding herself that her life and her freedom were at stake.

As Tony struggled to stand, JJ rushed him, using her other foot to land a solid blow to the side of his head. She watched as Tony's head snapped back violently, and he landed back on the floor in a heap, unmoving.

Tempted as she was to check and see if he truly was out cold, JJ knew she didn't have the time to waste and she had seen too many movies to be baited into that potential trap. Keeping her distance from him, she limped slightly to the door, the pain her foot was in dully in the back of her mind.

Her hands shook from adrenaline, just as they had during her last escape attempt, making it more challenging than it should've been to fit the key into the lock. Her body rushed with excitement when the lock gave way and she was able to fling the door open.

Quickly, she ran down the long hallway, images of her previous escape from the room flashing in her mind. Her brain suddenly warned her to watch out for John, but then she remembered he had accompanied Spencer to wherever he had been taken to. She was home free from that threat.

With no other obstacles in her path, she made it to the staircase. She raced down the steps, her brain telling her to slow down so as to not fall and end her escape attempt prematurely. Reaching the bottom successfully, she whipped her head around from side to side, the excitement, the adrenaline, the fear, all mixed together making it hard for her to think straight. She needed to remember how to get back to the lounge. She doubted that Spencer was still there, but she knew it would at least bring her closer to him, and, in all likelihood, closer to her way out of this building.

Glancing from left to right once more, JJ knew she would have to make her choice and quick. She could hear the sound of footsteps as they began to thunder down the staircase behind her.

/

Spencer stumbled forward into the room after the push in the back. He had been able to get a quick glance at the room and saw that it was in fact not a bedroom. More like a holding cell.

The room was rather empty, and had a dank, musty feel to it. Besides the set of restraints near one of the pillars, and a wooden table full of instruments of all types against one of the walls, the room was bare. Spencer had hoped for a comfy bedroom, not that he had any intent of staying there to begin with, but he almost expected a room like this instead. He had a gut feeling that Tony knew something wasn't right, and now this confirmed it. 'The special guest room' as Tony had called it, was nothing more than a holding cell and potential torture chamber.

Spencer's senses were on high alert after the man, John, pushed him in, entering and closing the door behind them after having done so.

"What's…" Spencer began, turning, only to be met by a hard blow to the face. As Spencer tumbled to the floor, he cursed himself for not being ready for the instantaneous action. The big man towered over Spencer, looming large with his fists balled.

"I don't understand…" Spencer tried to continue the act but the man was having none of it. He advanced on Spencer quickly, threateningly.

Spencer thrashed out, kicking the man in the knee, buying himself enough time to get to his feet. Immediately he stood at the ready as the man recovered and growled at him. The man lowered his head and charged at him, but Spencer was ready, quickly dodging to the side. With the man's back to him, Spencer kicked him in the back of the knee and punched him just beneath his shoulder blade. The man stumbled, crashing head long into the post where the restraints were.

"This doesn't have to happen, we can end this here." Spencer offered as he watched the man dab at the blood trickling down his forehead from where a gash had opened.

"Oh, this is going to end here alright." The man shot back angrily.

He charged at Spencer again, this time stopping short rather than lunging like during his previous attempt. Spencer was a little surprised by this move, but he was still able to compensate, landing a blow flush to the man's nose, breaking it.

The man took a couple of steps back, holding his bleeding face as Spencer advanced on him. While the man easily outweighed him, it was apparent the man was over confident by his given size advantage. He was underestimating Spencer, he wasn't fighting smart, rather attacking with brute force and wild, inaccurate punches.

Unfortunately for Spencer, just as he was getting the upper hand, he misjudged one of the blows, catching a glancing shot to the side of his face. With a huff Spencer spun around and crashed painfully into the bolted-down wooden table.

The large man quickly fired a pair of blows into his kidney while crushing his body against the table. The rain of blows began to come more quickly and fiercely, the energy slowly draining from Spencer's body. He had gone to having the upper hand to finding himself in a precarious spot without much to defend himself with.

Spencer was able to free one of his arms, reaching for anything on the table that may be to his assistance. John noticed this and quickly gripped the arm firmly up by the shoulder, right where Spencer's gunshot wound was located. Spencer bit his lip to keep from yelling out in pain, but a loud grunt still escaped from his throat. Noticing the flinching action of the man he had pinned, John took full advantage of the newly discovered weakness. Stepping back to create more power, he delivered a hard blow to the shoulder.

"Is something wrong? Does _this_ hurt?" John said coldly, landing another punch to the shoulder.

Spencer grimaced as pain shot through the aching wound on his shoulder. After another punch, the shoulder turned almost numb which proved to be an almost thankful reprise. With the pain sickly tapering off a little Spencer was able to make himself focus. He realized the space the man had given him, meaning he now had room to maneuver.

Bringing the elbow back with his good arm as hard as he could Spencer landed a direct blow to the man's ribcage. He heard the man let out a painful gasp, and felt his body fall back. Free from the confines of the table, Spencer turned and attacked. He landed one blow, followed by another, and another to the man's bleeding face. The built up rage inside of him released itself as he continued to rain kicks and punches on the man.

Blinded by anger, he didn't see the man's face anymore; he saw Tony. Tony as he smiled, Tony as he kissed JJ, possessed JJ, his hands roaming her body as if he owned her. Spencer's vision became blurry as tears began to flood his eyes. His knuckles cracked, bleeding, as he continued to pummel the now unconscious man to a bloody pulp. Finally, when he was thoroughly exhausted, too tired to throw another punch, he relented.

Falling back into a crouched position, he wiped the blood and sweat from his brow with his good arm. He tried to raise his other arm, but found he only had half his normal mobility; it was too sore, his muscle too tense.

Catching his breath Spencer tore his gaze from the floor and set it back upon the man he had beaten. The man's face was almost unrecognizable, the man himself unmoving. Spencer quickly looked away, not wanting to dwell on what he had just done, on how he had saved himself but lost control in the same moment.

While he felt physically drained, he forced himself to get to his feet, he couldn't rest now. He had done what he had to in order to survive, he reminded himself before the feelings of regret threatened to consume him. He did this for himself, for JJ. The man he had probably just killed had tried to kill him, it was self defense. Now he had to move. He had limited time. There was no telling what was happening to JJ at that moment, or how soon the rest of the team would arrive, causing the real chaos to begin.

Wiping his bloody hands on his jeans, he moved to the door. Pulling it open, he was unprepared for another person to be standing on the other side.


	36. Drawing Lines

**AN: Thank you to Tauri888, Arwennicole, crazyobsession101, gohan108, Wren Calhoun, I-Wish-I-Had-A-Witty-Username, Langely, LaRieNGuBleR, and cm-fan for reviewing the last chapter. Your reviews certainly motivate me to post these chapters as quickly as time will allow! I'm also glad the last chapter was well-received. I was worried about both JJ and Spencer being in character. Particularly Spencer, as he's never been in a situation like that in the show (as was pointed out), yet he is a trained agent so I hardly view him as being weak. I think he could hold his own, especially since he would likely be a 'smart' fighter.**

**I apologize for taking so long to post, however these last updates will likely come weekly now because life is putting me on a time crunch unfortunately. This chapter may disappoint some (I hope not), but I am simply trying to tie up every loose end I created. As I promised before you WILL get some form of payoff before this is over.**

**Finally, it appears I have been nominated for "Best Depiction of Jennifer Jareau" for this story on the CCOAC forum. I didn't know such a thing existed, but I have to tell you that is AWESOME! I certainly didn't set out writing this story to get tons of recognition, I simply wrote it out of hobby and sheer enjoyment. The fact that multiple people would take the time out even just to see this story nominated is incredible and certainly made me proud. Anyway, check it out if you get the chance. While I see some omissions from other writers, there are many great stories on there. Thank you all again, and sorry for the long note!**

Knowing she didn't have any time to waste, JJ took a couple quick steps to her right. She hadn't gotten more than maybe ten feet from the staircase, when the voice in the back of her head began to scream at her that she was going the wrong way. She stopped short, the strain from the sudden movement causing pain to shoot even more resoundingly from her broken toe.

Grimacing, she looked back the way she had come. From her spot in the hallway, she could make out the boots, then the legs as they trampled down the stairs, coming perilously close to the bottom. She was going to be in his sight-line in mere seconds; there was no way she could go back and make a run in the other direction without Tony easily catching up to her.

Cursing herself for the fact that she had made a quick decision without thinking her actions through, JJ turned and continued hurriedly down the original path she had chosen, knowing it was her only option. As she raced down the long hall, she could hear the heavy footfalls behind her, alerting her to the fact that Tony must've at least caught a glimpse of her. He was still a ways back, but JJ could tell that he was closing the distance on her.

JJ made a sharp, abrupt turn down the hallway to her left when she reached another split. She told herself not to panic, reminding herself to remain calm even though every hall looked very much like the previous one she had traversed. It was like the interior of the compound was nothing but one big, confusing maze.

Rounding another corner and being met by yet another straightaway, JJ gasped for air even if the footsteps behind her didn't seem to be as loud as they had been seconds earlier. Halfway down this hallway she noticed an opening. Moving to it with lightening speed, she stopped herself when she noticed the staircase.

It was poorly lit, the wood old and rugged, suggesting it led to some sort of basement. JJ knew this was out of the question. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped underground. As frustrating as it was being in the maze she found herself in, at least it provided a chance of finding an exit or safe harbor somewhere. The basement would merely trap her in darkness, ending her chances of escape.

JJ whipped her head around, glancing frantically around her. She couldn't stay in the middle of this hallway, completely vulnerable, forever. She could hear a commotion, something that sounded like shouting, coming from the untraveled path in front of her, just around the corner. Turning instinctively to head back the way she had come, she could again hear the familiar heavy footsteps that belonged to Tony. She was trapped.

JJ struggled to breathe, feeling as though her lungs were shrinking and collapsing in upon themselves. Her heart was racing out of her chest. She felt on the verge of a panic attack. She reminded herself of her training, of what she had been taught to do if ever in a situation similar to this. She had to keep her composure; it wouldn't do her any good if she didn't. Now she just had to make what could prove to be one of the biggest decisions of her life. Which way to go, what risk to take.

Just as JJ was about to make her final decision, the feel of a hand on her shoulder nearly caused her to jump out of her skin. Her heart plunged and her blood turned to ice as the thought immediately entered her brain that she had wasted too much time and now Tony had caught up to her.

Turning quickly, fists raised defensively, JJ was surprised to find that the person wasn't Tony at all, it was a woman. It wasn't just any woman however, it was the same woman JJ remembered seeing at the ceremony, the woman who had silent tears running down her face as she watched the scene with her two young kids and presumed husband.

"Who are you? What do you want?" JJ bit back sharply, hands still raised, ready to strike if need be.

The woman went to answer when the sound of more shouting and heavy footsteps caused them both to turn and look to the source of the sound.

"Hurry, come with me, we don't have much time until he rounds the corner." The woman said in a frantic, soft, voice as she motioned to the open door behind her.

JJ hesitated for just an instant, knowing that this could very well be a trap. Considering her options however, she knew she didn't have much choice. At the very least, if the woman was trying to trap her JJ knew she would have a better chance against the thin blonde woman than she would against Tony or any of his other men.

Moving quickly, JJ entered the room, the woman following closely and shutting the door behind them. Inside, JJ ran her eyes analytically over the interior of the room, searching for any potential threats or dangers. Finding none after her initial scan, she soon came to realize that this was the woman's living quarters.

"You should be safe here, for a few minutes anyway. My husband Cal is out at the moment. You'll have to leave before he comes back though, if he sees you he'll turn you over to Tony immediately. I'm sorry; it's the best I can do." The woman turned and explained after double checking to ensure that the door was secured and that no one had seen them.

"It's ok. You didn't have to do that, thank you." JJ said sincerely, softening her face when she saw how stressed the woman looked.

The woman eyed JJ and nodded slightly, unmoving from her position near the door. An awkward silence passed between the two as they stood there looking at each other. When the sound of the heavy-booted footsteps passed, continuing farther down the hallway, JJ spoke.

"Um…why _did_ you just do that for me?" She asked curiously.

The woman dropped her eyes to the floor, remaining silent. When it became apparent that JJ wasn't going to get an answer, she tried something different.

"I'm Jennifer by the way, although my friends call me JJ. And you are?" She asked, forcing herself to smile in order to look warmer and inviting, present appearance excluded.

"Kelly. My name is Kelly." The woman replied finally after lifting her head once again.

"Kelly." JJ repeated the name. "Well thank you Kelly, you may have just saved my life."

"You're welcome, Jennifer." Kelly replied, clearly still uneasy and on high alert.

"Please, call me JJ." JJ replied, taking a few steps closer in an attempt to show the woman that she was of no threat to her.

"JJ? Why is your name JJ?" Kelly asked confused, after another quiet moment.

"It's just a nickname, it's my initials. It's a name my friends call me, it just happened one day and I liked it so much that it just kind of stuck." JJ smiled wryly, earning a small giggle from Kelly.

"I like it."

"Thank you."

The women exchanged a shared moment, and for the second time since she had met the woman, JJ felt like they were connected in some way. She couldn't help but to try and figure out why she felt this way.

"So, Kelly, please tell me why you did this for me." JJ pressed Kelly. She watched as Kelly's face fell, apparently the dangerousness of the situation at hand reentering her mind at JJ's question. Kelly took a couple of steps from the door, moving towards the center of the room.

"I saw you at the ceremony. I saw you crying." JJ blurted out, desperate to get a response from the reserved woman.

Kelly froze in her tracks and bowed her head. When she turned back towards JJ, the blonde agent could see tears again forming in the woman's eyes.

"I know the hell he was putting you through." Kelly said simply, yet bluntly.

"How?" JJ asked gently.

Kelly sighed, running a hand through her greasy hair.

"Because at one time, a few years ago, I was you."

JJ's eyes widened just a little, but as her brain processed everything, it all began to make sense. Throughout her stay at the compound, she had always suspected that she wasn't the first woman Tony had tried to make a wife out of. The first woman he had tried to control and torture. The man was too practiced. But this admission by Kelly, confirmed JJ's suspicions.

"What happened to you? Were you kidnapped like me?" JJ immediately asked. The fact that time was still of the essence was pushed to the back of her mind.

Kelly nodded her non-verbal response.

"Are there others like you? Like _us_?" JJ cringed, realizing that she was to be included, that she _was_ a victim.

"Not that I know of, we're the only two who were actually kidnapped. There were others within the colony that Tony was…with, though." Kelly said as she turned away once more.

"But then, how did you get away from him? How did you end up with someone else?" JJ questioned.

Kelly sighed, ringing her hands at the unpleasant memories that flooded her brain at JJ's questions. Finally, she shook her head negatively from side to side.

"It's a long story…too long to explain…and at this point it really doesn't matter. My life is here now, I'm past saving."

"Kelly…"

"But you…you still have a chance. You have people who are actually looking for you from the sounds of it. And you're more of a fighter than I ever was, you can still get out of here and salvage the life you had…have."

"Kelly please, let me repay you…there must be something I can do to help you."

Kelly shook her head from side to side in the negative once more.

"You need to go, before Tony circles back. Cal will be here any minute too."

JJ opened her mouth to protest when she heard the voices of children from farther back in the living area, out of sight. It suddenly occurred to her that Kelly was trying to protect her children. JJ rationalized that out of everything that had happened to this woman, out of all that still existed in this woman's life, that her two kids were truly the only things she treasured most anymore.

"Kelly, listen I'm with the FBI. My team should be here soon. I can send someone for you, to protect you. You don't have to live this life anymore; you can start a new life, away from Tony, the colony, even Cal if you want. Just you and your kids, wherever you want, starting a new life together." JJ said more firmly as she was guided towards the door.

"Please, that is sweet of you, but don't make offers you can't keep." Kelly said dryly, not believing that help existed for her anymore.

"I mean it Kelly, please, let me help you." JJ said, turning to face Kelly and meeting her eyes once more.

Kelly appeared to think for a moment. Finally, she spoke, her lip turning up just the slightest.

"JJ, I learned a long time ago not to get my hopes up for anything. My only hope left lies in the hopes of my children. My life is here, with them now. I've come to accept that, they're all I have. Your offer is very nice. I thank you for trying to help me in return for what you perceive as my generosity. But I won't let you get my hopes up. I will pray that you stay safe, that you find your way to freedom and happiness." Kelly finished by gently guiding JJ the rest of the way to the door. She opened it a crack and peered out cautiously as JJ stood to the side.

"Kelly…" JJ tried one last time, unwilling to simply leave behind the woman who had clearly gone through more hell than she had.

"JJ, please, enough. I will only slow you down. You need to focus on surviving. You are hardly out of the woods yet; half the compound will be looking for you. If one of them finds you they will bring you to Tony. If Tony gets his hands on you, he won't kill you, but you will forever regret it, understand?" Kelly stared sharply at JJ. She wanted JJ to know just how much danger she had brought upon herself, how desperately she had to get out of the compound _now_.

JJ felt a lump form in her throat at the dark warning Kelly had given her. Images of previous punishments, previous nights spent with Tony, briefly flashed through her mind.

"The coast is clear, you should go now. When you leave, take a right back the way you came. Then, go to the end of each of the next two halls, taking a left then a right. Once you have done that you will be back where you began. From there, go straight, take one more left, and then go straight all the way to the end. You will find yourself outside. Once you get outside, run like hell, you won't have much cover darkness or not. Whatever you do, _don't_ go up or down any staircases, ok?" Kelly explained quickly, speaking in a hushed tone as she guided JJ into the hallway.

"Yes." JJ nodded, turning to the woman one last time. "Thank you for everything Kelly. I will send someone for you." She vowed.

"Good luck JJ. I hope you find peace, may God be with you."

With that, Kelly slipped behind the door to her room, leaving JJ alone in the hallway.

/

Upon opening the door, Spencer nearly walked smack into the firm chest of the man standing in front of him. Stunned, Spencer stumbled a few steps backwards.

Paul, almost equally stunned at the door whipping open when it did, then seeing the sight of the bloody FBI agent in front of him, stood unmoving. Peaking into the room, he saw what was left of John in a heap on the floor. Turning back to the skinny man, he raised his eyebrows in surprise at how a man so undersized had been able to be so outright brutal.

"Damn, looks like John barely stood a chance." Paul commented, turning his gaze back to Spencer.

"What do you want? If you don't back off now you can end up just like him." Spencer warned with false bravado, his fists raised defensively, ready for any sudden attacks. He recognized the man to be the one he had just passed in the hallway a few moments earlier.

"I'm not here to fight you." Paul said coolly, taking a couple of steps into the room.

Spencer backed up a little more, realizing that he was at a disadvantage. While he had made good work of the other man, Spencer had his doubts that he had the strength or energy left to fight another equally large man and have the same success.

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't exactly believe you." Spencer replied, again with more confidence than he felt.

At this point, especially if things went south once again, he found himself to be counting down how long until his team would arrive. It would be too long. Too long to save him from _this _situation. And certainly too long to save JJ from whatever Tony was currently doing to her.

"After what you just went through, I suppose that's fair." Paul replied with a nod.

"So what do you want then?" Spencer questioned.

"Cutting to the chase, perfect. I like your directness, Mister. Probably for the best since it appears time is of the essence, for both of us."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know who you are…not your name, but I know who you work for. And by the look on your face, I would say you at least recognize me."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Spencer replied, defensively.

"Sure you do…_FBI_."

"I'm not with the FBI." Spencer scoffed, not ready to show his cards just yet in case this guy was another one of Tony's men trying to trap him.

Paul's deep voice echoed off the walls as he let out a good laugh.

"You're a terrible liar, and you're wasting time needlessly. I know you're with the FBI…I saw you outside of the precinct in Guymon right before we snatched your pretty friend." Paul replied, watching as the skinny man's eyes darkened at the mention of JJ.

"Ah…see? Now that struck a chord didn't it? Ready to drop the show and talk like men, or would you prefer to keep playing?"

Spencer dropped his arms to his sides, but remained standing in a stance that would allow for him to react quickly if needed.

"Where is she?"

"That's why I'm here. But first, before I help you, we need to clear some things up." Paul replied.

"Take me to her; if that's what you intend to do. We don't have time to talk." Spencer replied more earnestly.

"See, but this is where you are wrong Mr. FBI. If you want me to take you to her, then we _will _talk first." Paul insisted.

Spencer shifted his stance, clearly annoyed at the prospect of wasting time and talking with one of the main offenders behind JJ's disappearance.

"What do you want to know?" Spencer finally relented, wanting to get through whatever this was as quickly as possible.

"Well, let's start with an introduction. My name is Paul, and you are?"

"Spencer."

"Spencer? Well there's a name I didn't expect. Ok, Spencer, the first thing I really want to know is how did you find me?"

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked for clarity, not wanting to say more than necessary.

"How did you _recognize_ me as I know you did?" Paul replied, staring intently as he waited for a response.

"We saw you on surveillance when you purchased the GPS trackers."

"Is that the only time?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

"You wouldn't be lying to me now would you? JJ's life is at stake here." Paul reminded ominously.

"I am _not_ lying to you. That's the only time we saw you. We weren't able to ID you either since I know that will be your next question." Spencer replied abruptly, not caring how truthful he was being, only caring about what Paul would believe.

"You'll have to forgive me Spencer, but I find that a little hard to believe."

"It's the truth. You weren't our focus, Tony was. As soon as we caught Tony on tape at the precinct and dove into his background we knew he was our main suspect. You were a secondary suspect." Spencer finished in earnest. He noted that Paul's eyes seemed to lighten, almost into a glimmer at this last statement.

"What is it you want?" Spencer continued after a silent pause.

"What makes you think I want something?"

"Your presence here would suggest you want something for one. For two, your body language is giving you away." Spencer replied directly.

Paul seemed a little taken aback at this at first, but quickly shook it off with another chuckle.

"You are good, I'll give you that. I do want something from you Spencer."

"Which is?"

"_Immunity_." Spencer stared straight at Paul, noting the man had said his response with the utmost certainty and without a hint of doubt.

"You expect to get immunity after everything you've done? After assisting in the planning of an abduction of an FBI agent and then carrying out said plan?" Spencer replied incredulously.

"It was done completely under duress. Tony forced me to do it. He had collateral that he was holding against me. I promise, I never did anything to hurt your friend. I treated her with the utmost care and barely laid a finger on her. Anything that happened to her, any marks you may find, were done completely by Tony. I had nothing else to do with it."

"You stood by and did nothing while he did whatever it was he did to her! You kidnapped her! And what do you mean when you say Tony had 'collateral' against you that forced you to commit these crimes?" Spencer asked in spitfire, the anger inside of him again boiling to the surface.

"The collateral was my spot in the colony. If I didn't help him he would've had me punished, it's how he works." Paul replied dryly.

Spencer studied the man, knowing he wasn't telling the whole truth, that he was hiding something.

"You're one of Tony's men, one of his most trusted I would have to believe; your story doesn't add up." Spencer countered.

Paul chuckled again, beginning to pace from where he stood in front of Spencer.

"Tony may trust me, but I don't trust him. I would rather see him go; he's been nothing but trouble for this colony. And, for the record, he back-doored his way into power when _I_ am the rightful leader. Hence, why I am willing to help you. I am willing to make a deal with you. If you give me immunity, I will not only help you get your friend back, but I will give you Tony too. After everything I'm sure you and your friends have been through, I would think that's a pretty good deal."

Spencer thought hard for a moment. He realized that logically, this could easily be another trap. But then, if he went along with it, trap or not, it would be his quickest, most direct route to Tony and JJ. It was a dangerous proposition, one that could backfire and cost him dearly. And yet, with the time that had since passed, Spencer knew his team should come crashing into the compound at any minute. In his mind, it would certainly serve Spencer better to be with JJ and have Tony in his sights when that happened. It wasn't the ideal option, but given the circumstances, the agreement Paul had laid out to him was a risk he was willing to take.

"Ok, fine. We have an agreement." Spencer stated, making sure his eyes remained locked on Paul's.

"We do?"

"Yes."

"I've always been brought up to shake on a deal once a conclusion has been reached. No games. Fair?" Paul offered his hand.

He was still equally as skeptical as the FBI agent across from him. He didn't very much like trusting this man; it put him in a rather precarious position. However, the way Paul saw it if things worked out then he would get what he ultimately wanted, and the FBI agent would likewise.

Cautiously, Spencer extended his hand, shaking Paul's. He didn't much like the arrangement they had reached, simply giving a pass to one of the men who had started this whole mess, who had caused JJ, and himself, so much pain. But Spencer was also smart enough to recognize the risks Paul was potentially taking too. They were both in dangerous waters at the moment.

"Let's go, we don't have much time. I'm assuming your friend's aren't too far behind?" Paul offered.

"Farther than you think. They won't be a factor." Spencer replied, hiding the lie so he wouldn't have to play his last card, just in case.

"You are pretty ballsy then." Paul replied, sizing up the skinny man in front of him one last time.

"It's amazing the things you're willing to go through for the people you hold close in your life." Spencer said.

"Well said." Paul mumbled, following Spencer out of the room, then leading him down the hallway.

/

JJ walked swiftly down the second of the three hallways Kelly had directed her through. She barely noticed how empty the compound appeared, chalking it up to the time of night it was; more focused on finding her way to the lounge.

Her senses were on high alert. Every sound she heard that wasn't her own footfalls on the hardwood floor caused her to whip her head around like she was paranoid. Reaching the end of the second hall and following Kelly's directions, she turned down what should have been the last hall until she was back at the staircase she had originally found herself at.

JJ quickened her strides, eager to reach the end. She felt lucky that to this point, she had been able to avoid any signs of danger.

Turning the corner one last time, finally out of the maze, JJ found her luck had ended. She had no time to react as she smacked square into the couple who had been walking in her direction.

JJ let out a huff as she tried to regain her balance. Unfortunately she stepped wrong, putting her weight awkwardly on her already broken toe. The pain shot up her leg and she collapsed to the floor, unable to regain her balance before she landed on her bruised bottom. She let out another hiss of pain as she came in contact with the unforgiving hardwood floor. Her sore body throbbed; she could hear her heart beating in her ears. Suddenly, dully, she heard a familiar voice cut through the pounding in her head. The voice was angry, it was female.

"Well, well, Alex, look what we have here." The voice cut sharply through JJ's head, bringing a whole new sense of panic through her.

Glancing up, she came face to face with Camilla, who was now standing over her after having regained her own balance. JJ felt her heart drop, the dread crawling through the pit of her stomach as the woman above her grinned ruefully.

"Are you ok honey? She walked into you rather hard." Alex questioned, his voice holding a strange tone to it.

"I'm fine dear, don't worry about me. Looks like miss beauty queen here took a bit of a spill though." Camilla cackled.

JJ brought her arms underneath her, using her wrists to push herself up. She needed to get to her feet; she was at too much of a disadvantage. Seeing what the blonde was doing, Camilla immediately lashed out. Using her foot, she kicked JJ's arm harshly, causing it to collapse and sending the blonde back to her previous spot on the ground.

"Do me a favor honey. Go find Tony…I'll keep an eye on his little princess here." Camilla said as she eyed JJ with a dark glint in her eye.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Alex asked with concern, glancing between the two women.

"I've never been better honey. Don't worry; I can handle her if she gives me any trouble. Take your time." Camilla said with a smile, leaning over to give Alex a kiss on the cheek.

He looked at each woman one last time before nodding to Camilla. Turning, he walked away, set on finding Tony. Waiting until her husband was out of sight, Camilla turned her attention back to JJ.

"Well now, it looks like someone has escaped her little room." Camilla began, circling JJ.

JJ could tell by the look in the woman's eye that she was in trouble. She tried to stand again, but in a flash she was back on the ground, the result of sustaining another painful kick.

"It looks like someone's been a bad girl…and not in the way Tony likes." Camilla growled, lashing out and kicking JJ in the gut this time. JJ clutched at her ribs, coughing as the air rushed from her lungs.

"I think it's time you got a _real _lesson in how to behave properly." Camilla huffed as she kicked JJ again as the blonde flinched under the contact.

"I know Tony told me not to mark you up, but you just aren't learning!" Camilla reached down. Grabbing a handful of blonde hair she roughly yanked JJ up by it. Throwing her hard against the wall, pinning her against it, Camilla painfully squished JJ's cheeks together with her free hand.

"I think he'd make an exception this time. And…I think it's time you and me settled things once and for all. I for one don't think you are nearly as tough as you're supposed to be." Camilla taunted, bringing her face so close to JJ's that their noses were nearly touching.

At that moment, JJ knew what she had to do, and that it was probably going to hurt.

/

Spencer followed Paul as they walked back the way he had come with John earlier. After climbing the staircase, they began to traverse the halls. The whole time they walked, Spencer still couldn't help but to shake the feeling that he could be headed into another trap. He reminded himself that he was doing this for JJ, that she needed him. Further, the team would back him up, he just had to give them enough time.

Instead, Spencer focused on remaining alert. He didn't try to talk to Paul; he didn't have much to say to the man and he certainly didn't like him deal or not. Spencer turned to the wall, noting the religious portraits that adorned this particular hallway. So impressed was he in that brief instant, that he didn't even noticed the other man coming down the hallway towards them, not until the man spoke.

"Paul! What the hell is he doing out?!"

Spencer immediately looked forward to see Tony seething as he approached them.

"He got out Tony. I was just bringing him to you." Paul explained away.

"And why the hell would you do a dumb thing like that?! Where the hell is John?!" Tony roared as he stormed towards them, only about ten feet away now.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him." Paul lied.

The lie alerted Spencer that Paul appeared to be trying to hold up their part of the deal, even if he still felt uneasy.

"What are you doing down here anyway? I thought you'd be with that future wife of yours?" Paul asked almost nonchalantly.

"She escaped. I'm looking for her now." Tony said as he gritted his teeth, coming to a stop in front of them.

With that statement, Spencer noticed for the first time the bleeding, bruising gash on the side of Tony's head. Suddenly, his heart swelled with pride at what JJ had accomplished, even if he had no idea where she was. He prayed that she had found her way out, even if in the back of his head he suspected she wouldn't leave without him.

"I'll go help." Paul offered, moving to step away. Both men eyed him, glaring at him for different reasons.

"Why don't you take Spencer to his room instead?" Tony suggested, although it was more an order.

"No thank you Tony, I've decided to leave." Spencer replied, turning the man's attention to him.

For the first time, Tony noticed the skinny man in front of him was bruised, blood staining his shirt.

"And why would you want to do that?" Tony said, forcing himself to smile.

"I know what your game is Tony. It's over, and you're coming with me." Spencer said seriously.

Tony chuckled incredulously, looking between Spencer and Paul.

"What the hell is going on here? He's not serious is he Paul?" Tony asked, looking at Paul.

Paul simply shrugged, almost looking disinterested minus the slight smirk gracing his lips.

"Tony I'm with the FBI and you're under arrest. I know what you've done, and it's over. I'm here to get JJ back, and you will be going to jail for the rest of your life."

"Oh really? Is that so?" Tony challenged, drawing dangerously close to Spencer.

"It is, isn't it Paul?" Spencer called to Paul, using it as a form of distraction against Tony.

Tony turned back towards Paul, stunned at the suggestion that the man had betrayed him. This allowed Spencer to create some space, space he would need to maneuver when Tony would surely decide to strike.

"Son of a bitch!" Tony cursed in Paul's direction as Paul simply turned his back to him.

Spencer watched, knowing he was likely on his own to fight Tony, that Paul, cowardly, wanted no part in the fight. Not that he could color himself surprised; Spencer knew it would be too good to be true for him _and _Paul to simply fight Tony together. Paul was going to let them shed the blood and then, more than likely, finish off whoever remained. In many ways he was no better than Tony himself.

Spencer sighed, preparing himself as he readied to utter the phrase that he knew would surely start everything.

"Tony, I'm here to take _my _girlfriend back."


	37. Good Battling Evil

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole, Alerria, gohan108, LaRieNGuBleR, Guest, and cm-fan for reviewing the last chapter! There are the usual warnings this chapter for language, violence, and suggestive themes so be warned. It's Wednesday which means a new CM episode tonight! Can't wait! I'm also very grateful to have made it through the hurricane intact and with power, blessed! Happy Halloween!**

"_Your _girlfriend?!" Tony hollered incredulously, a cackle forming in his voice at the implication. "I think you must be mistaken."

"I am not. JJ is not only a co-worker and valued member of my FBI team, but she is also someone I love very much." Spencer said firmly with the utmost confidence.

Tony smirked, eyeing the man to gauge whether or not the skinny, unimposing agent was being serious. After a moment Tony's smile faded and his eyes grew impossibly darker at the realization that Spencer was dead serious.

"I hate to break it to you _Spencer_…but _JJ_ is mine now, she belongs to me. Not only is she _my_ girlfriend, but we are to become husband and wife in the coming days; less you forget the ring on her finger that I showed you earlier." Tony's replied in a threatening tone.

"The ring means nothing if you give her no choice but to accept it." Spencer replied swiftly.

Tony responded with a grimace, but he hardly appeared phased.

"No? Then how about if I told you that she and I have been _quite intimate_ the last few days? That we have shared many tender moments as we got to know each other better in order to make our affection for each other grow? She has become quite fond of me I think you will find." Tony said with a sneer, his rage beginning to reach another level.

"If it's anything like what you had me witness in the lounge, then I would say you are quite delusional, Tony. I've known JJ for a number of years. I know her a lot better than you do, and I can tell when she's being honest and when she's just putting on a show. By the looks of your head, it appears _you _don't." Spencer said, the content of his voice gaining more intensity as he took a step closer to Tony.

"Or maybe you don't know her as well as you think you do _Spencer_…maybe it was just part of a fun little game we were playing. See, I know how she likes it. Jennifer can be a little frisky, a little rough. Her stamina is incredible though, I can attest to it. She's just how I like them." Tony's face was now beat red.

The gap between the two men had closed. A tense silence filled the air as both men stared each other down, mere inches apart. Beyond them, the outside world had faded away, all they could see was each other, the hatred and contempt they both held. They were only seconds away from finding out who was the better man, and there was no way in hell they were going to let someone come in and interfere. This was the final inevitable showdown that fate had set out for them. Finally, Tony's lips curled up slightly at the edges as he prepared to speak again.

"You know, I knew there was something about you Spencer. You see, as soon as you told me your name something clicked. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what it was at first. It was like when you have a word on the tip of your tongue, but you just can't say it. Finally, it all clicked. Your name was familiar. Do you know why your name was familiar, _Spencer?"_ Tony offered, baiting the man, ready to set him over the edge.

He was ready to beat the crap out of this FBI agent. He was scrawny, and by the looks of him he had already been through a hell of a fight. Tony was confident he could easily over power the man in quick order. Then, once he had put the agent in his rightful place, he could take care of Paul and find Jennifer. Everything could still go back to the way it was supposed to be.

Spencer remained silent, his posture rigid and defensive as he waited for Tony to supply the answer to his own question.

"Because, _Spencer_…I heard JJ whisper your name in her sleep before I awoke her for our first _real_ night together. And even better, she _moaned_ it once _last night_ when _I_ was fucking her pretty little brains out! When _I _was making _her_ come for _me_! Over…and over…and over…_Spence…Spence…Spence!_" Tony taunted mockingly, getting right up into the young man's face, his spittle spraying the man's cheek.

Spencer felt the rage overwhelm him. He dug his nails into his palms as he balled his fists. At that moment he didn't care if Tony was bigger or stronger than him. He didn't care if he could potentially die or be beaten to within an inch of his life. All he cared about as he lifted his right fist up and swung it, was that he got revenge on Tony and made him pay for everything he had done.

/

The BAU team, along with the local swat team they had called in, had reached the outer wall to the compound. Henry Dell had successfully made it back to them after leaving the compound. While the team waited for Reid and Dell, they had mobilized and prepared to the fullest, setting up a makeshift command center on the other side of the ridge from the long, flat plain that led to the compound. Now that Dell was safely out of the way, waiting at the center with the antsy medical technicians who had been put on standby, it was clear for the team to make its move.

Dell had done his job, relaying Spencer's message that JJ was visually confirmed to be alive and in the compound. With this news, the team had quickly suited up and put their plan into place. They would take the main entry way, assisted by some of the members of the local law enforcement and swat team. The rest of the group would make sure the compound was surrounded, so that there wouldn't be any surprises or room for people to escape.

They knew they had to act swiftly, and they knew that given the distance of the plain, that the members of the compound's security team would see them coming in short order. While they would still have some element of surprise, the time it took to cover the plain would provide enough time for the members of the group to at least be alerted and partially mobilized themselves.

Having reached the high wall of the compound, everyone in the FBI SUV was on high alert. They knew as soon as they breached the wall, the chaos would begin. Allowing a SWAT all-terrain vehicle with a special metal grill to take the lead, the team watched as it made quick work of barreling through and collapsing the large door in front of them. Wood from the door splintered and rained down around them as the BAU team in the SUV followed the vehicle through the broken door and into the compound.

They continued to drive straight, following the specialized vehicle towards what appeared to be the main building of the large compound. They didn't worry about being trapped in or surrounded by the people they drove past, the second wave of law enforcement behind them would be tasked with subduing and disarming them. The team's only focus was that main building Dell had described, the building where Spencer and JJ had been last seen.

Skidding to a stop in front of the building, the team alertly climbed out of the SUV with their guns drawn. They were just about to approach the door to the building when gun fire erupted. One swat member dropped to the ground as the result of a bullet wound from a hand gun. Rossi quickly whipped around and fired in the direction the shot had come from, killing the younger man who had fired the initial shot.

The immediate area briefly fell silent, eerily devoid of any noise. Then suddenly, just as Morgan reached to test the handle on the door, a shot gun blast erupted from through the door, narrowly missing him. This ignited a hail of gun fire as it began to rain in from all angles.

"Son of a bitch!" Morgan shouted, lucky to have pulled his hand away when he did.

Hotchner looked around him quickly, watching as members of the swat team began to fend off the outside area around them by forming a carefully protected circle. Realizing they were still lacking for cover and that the swat's methods, while currently effective couldn't last forever, Hotchner made his next call as their leader.

"Morgan! Break down the door we have to move! Everyone get ready we're going to have to move quick!" He called out over the loud crackling of gun fire.

Some of the members of the swat team turned back around, ready to assist the BAU team as they prepared to force their way into the building. Morgan took a quick step back and fired his foot hard into the door while Prentiss leaned around from the banister to provide him with cover. The door, while thick, gave way after a couple of kicks.

As soon as the door rocketed open, Morgan dove to the ground for protection, just ducking out of the way as another shotgun blast was fired at him. Prentiss immediately returned fire, once, twice, the second shot clipping the older man, Vern, in the shoulder and causing him to fumble with his gun. This provided the team with enough time to enter the building safely.

"FBI put the weapon down!" Prentiss ordered the older man as he regrouped and moved to raise his weapon.

"We will shoot!" Prentiss warned as the man continued the process of his actions.

Vern didn't heed the warning, too determined and too pissed that the government had barged into his home with guns blazing and without warning. Lifting the gun to take aim, Emily didn't waste a moment of hesitation, firing when it became clear the man was going to keep shooting. Her shot was lethal, sending the man limply to the ground in a heap.

The team spread out in the main lobby of the building; Hotchner and Rossi taking one side, and Morgan and Prentiss taking the other, both groups joined by members of the dividing swat group. Both groups were able to quickly clear their side of the room, as the place was surprisingly empty from where they stood.

Hotchner surmised that this wouldn't last very long, that the group members were likely hiding –the women and children- or, they were simply setting up traps or fighting other battles. Just as Hotchner and Rossi were about to reach the staircase that was to their right, two men with guns entered from one of the hallways.

"FBI! Drop your guns!" Rossi called, but again the men paid no mind just like the last man hadn't.

Given no choice, Hotchner and Rossi each shot one, wounding both. With both men hurt on the ground, they were easy to disarm and apprehend. Once that had been completed, the two agents continued on their path, starting up the staircase. Morgan and Prentiss meanwhile had reached and opening where the hallway split off. It was one of a couple of directions that they could've gone.

"Hotch!" Morgan called out, getting the unit chief's attention.

Hotchner looked over and met Morgan's eyes, watching as he pointed down the hallway to alert him which way he was going to take with Prentiss. Hotch nodded his approval and the team split up. The search was on for their two teammates.

/

JJ knew there was no way she could head butt Camilla, she was too immobile from being pinned by the woman's hands squishing her cheeks and pulling her hair. That would've presented the easiest way for JJ to stun the other woman and to create enough space for her to attack.

JJ also knew that she didn't have much time, that while Camilla was taking pleasure in the taunting, the control she currently held, that it wouldn't be long until the woman's more sadistic side reared its ugly head and she attacked JJ with an onslaught of blows.

With her good foot currently at a bad angle to do much of any damage either, the blonde agent knew she only had one real option at the moment, and that it was going to be a painful one. Lifting her sore foot with the throbbing big toe discretely, JJ brought it down hard with enough might that her courage could muster as she held her breath.

JJ's heel made hard contact with the woman's foot, crushing it against the hardwood floor. Camilla let out a yelp of pain, reflexively releasing JJ from against the wall in the process. While her heel had done its job and she had tried her damndest to shield her damaged toe, it still made contact with the floor.

"Ahhh!" JJ cried out, loud enough she was sure her voice would echo down the halls. Tears welled up in her eyes as the nagging toe screamed at her for being treated so harshly.

She didn't have time to think as Camilla attacked her again, using the hand that was still tangled in JJ's hair to jerk her head around harshly. More tears formed, blurring her vision as it felt like Camilla was trying to rip the hair from her scalp. It didn't matter which way JJ tried to turn, she couldn't get the woman's hand untangled. Finally, Camilla gave an excruciatingly hard yank, twisting JJ's neck so brutally that she had no choice but to collapse to the floor to keep her neck from potentially snapping. The move, while putting her back at another great disadvantage, did finally succeed in untangling the woman's hand from her hair.

"Oh yeah, definitely not as tough as you appear to be." Camilla smirked, studying the couple of strands that lay in her hand that she had successfully ripped from the woman's scalp.

Brushing the hair from her hand and onto the floor, Camilla let out an angry grunt as she kicked JJ in the small of her back. JJ whimpered in pain as the foot made direct contact with the deep bruise she had received when Tony had washed her mouth out with soap against the edge of the tub.

"Oh…that feels good, doesn't it?" Camilla taunted as she kicked JJ in the back of the legs.

"See, I may be rough like Tony, but I don't like to play the same games he does." Camilla taunted.

She bent down and grabbed JJ's wrist, digging her nails into the already chaffed, raw flesh. Forcing JJ to straighten her fingers, she yanked the ring off JJ's finger with such force that she popped it out of its joint.

"Ahhh!" JJ cried out in agony as her ring finger dislocated.

"You should've never been given this, you're not worth it." Camilla spat, appraising the ring before she threw it down the hall.

JJ continued to choke back pained tears as Camilla reached down and grabbed her hand once more.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that..." Camilla said as she looked at JJ's now crooked finger. "Here, let me fix that for you."

JJ let out another blood-curdling scream as the evil woman quickly and unsympathetically reset her finger back to where it belonged. When Camilla was satisfied that the finger was fixed, she dropped JJ's hand and let the woman collapse back to the floor in agony.

"You're nothing you little bitch! Nothing but Tony's pretty little whore!"

Camilla moved to kick again but JJ was ready. She rolled over quick and caught the woman's ankle with her good hand before it could make contact. With her good leg this time, JJ used it to kick at Camilla's base leg, collapsing it and sending her painfully to the ground.

Now that they were on an even level, it was JJ who had the advantage. Crawling quickly to Camilla, she climbed on top of the woman, balling her fist and firing blows to the woman's face.

Camilla tried her damndest to kick JJ off of her, but it didn't work. Feeling herself weaken as she continued to sustain the unguarded blows from the agent's small, powerful fist, Camilla was forced to go on the defensive. Instead of fighting back, all she could do was to bring her hands up in an attempt to shield her bloody, bruising face.

"You little bitch!" Camilla choked out right before JJ landed a punch to her unguarded midsection.

"This is for everything you did to me! All the physical torture, the mental mind games!"

JJ punched her again and again. Sweat formed on her brow as she felt the woman beneath her begin to lose her will to fight. Gasping for breath, JJ finally forced herself to slow her actions, to regain her control before she lost what energy she still had left.

"Do you want me to stop?" JJ asked, tauntingly, before firing one more punch to the woman's eye.

Camilla didn't respond, her swollen eyes blinking dully as she struggled to remain conscious, blood trickling down the side of her face and out of her nose, pooling on the ground around her.

Seeing that the woman was indeed finished, JJ stumbled off of her. Looking around her, she searched for something to tie the woman with until help arrived, or at least to buy herself some time to get far enough away.

JJ's eyes locked in on the discarded bag the woman had been carrying before JJ had crashed into her. Moving to it, JJ picked it up and riffled through it. Inside, she wasn't surprised to find what appeared to be the same rope JJ was more than familiar with. Flashing back, she remembered it had been Camilla who had taken the rope off her wrists earlier in the day, before she had been restrained to the chair in Camilla's 'office' once again.

With the rope in her hands, JJ dropped the bag and walked back to where her adversary lay barely moving. JJ was careful to keep her wits about her, cautious not to make a mistake that would give the woman a chance to make a move at her and continue the fight if she were playing possum.

Rolling Camilla onto her stomach, JJ kneeled down and forced the woman's arms back, tying her arms behind her back tightly. When that was completed, she stood, hovering over the woman who had tried to cause her so much harm. She wished she could've tied the woman's legs too, but it would have to do.

JJ couldn't help but to feel the small sense of validation that she had won the fight over the woman she had grown to almost fear. Now that she had overcome that obstacle, she knew she needed to push on. As tired, sore and bedraggled as she was, she had to find Spence so that they could get the hell out of there.

Not wasting the time to take one last look back at Camilla, JJ continued down the path she had been on. Turning the corner and expecting to see the familiar staircase, JJ's heart dropped when she saw that it was nowhere to be found. She wasn't where she was supposed to be, where she thought she would be. Either she had taken a wrong turn somewhere, or Kelly had given her bad directions.

Letting out an audible sigh, JJ considered turning back and going the way she had came, hoping to find the correct hallway if she did so. But deep down she knew that wasn't really an option. There was nothing but danger the way she had just come and in reality all she would be doing would be immersing herself further in the mind-numbing maze.

There was just something about this place, it's design, that made JJ want to pull her hair out. She had little doubt it had been designed this way on purpose, so that only true members of the colony would really know their way around, that outsiders welcome or not would not be able to find their way out easily without some assistance or a blueprint. It was just another sick aspect of being trapped in this place, and JJ couldn't help but to almost be reminded of being stuck in one of those carnival-mirror type of exhibits.

Forcing herself to keep her spirits up, JJ pressed on, limping forward down a few more identical halls. As she continued at a steady pace, she could hear herself approaching voices in the distance. At first it sounded like a bunch of movement. Then, as she got closer it sounded like shouting. Finally, as she stood at the end of her current hall, she could hear what sounded like a fight coming from the hallway to her right.

Stopping, JJ took a deep breath. The back of her mind told her to ignore it, to just keep moving and to not let her curiosity get the best of her. She was about to do just that, convinced that it was the rational thing to do when she heard a familiar voice.

"It's over Tony! She doesn't belong to you!"

JJ's heart would've soared if she weren't feeling so on edge and nervous. But the sound of the familiar voice did bring a sense of warmth to her heart. She knew that at least one of the men down that other hallway was her Spence.

Unfortunately from the sounds of it however, at least one of the other people potentially down that same hallway was also Tony. But in all honesty to JJ it didn't matter. Spencer was there. She needed to help him. He was trying to save her from Tony. As much as it could hurt physically, if she were to join the fight she could help Spencer over power Tony and end this thing finally. She would finally have her freedom, her safety. She knew very well how much Tony outweighed Spencer, that one on one Spencer may not be able to hold his own no matter how well trained and smart he was. She had to help him.

Turning the corner, she stepped out into full view of the hall. There on the ground was Tony, pinned to the floor with Spencer wrestling on top of him. Spencer's shirt was ripped open and he looked bloody and bruised. Tony, from what she could see of him, didn't look a whole lot better.

JJ stepped forward quickly, completely oblivious to the other man who stood off to the side, leaning against the wall and watching the show. The man spotted her long before she saw him. Pushing himself from the wall, he strode towards her.

Suddenly, JJ found her view of the fight to be blocked by a large figure, snapping her from her tunnel vision of getting to Spencer. Looking up, she met the man's face. She let out a gasp and staggered back a couple of steps as she realized she recognized the man; the same man who had been leering at her during the ceremony.

The man said nothing, his lips simply turning up slightly as he approached her and reached his hand out. JJ immediately balled her fists again, pounding them against his massive chest as he tilted his head out of her reach. With a strong hand he was able to grab hold of her, quickly putting an end to her punching.

"Come with me." The familiar deep voice boomed as he pushed her towards the nearest door and the room it led to.

JJ struggled against him, trying to break free but her efforts were futile. How could she be so close to Spencer only to be turned back once more? Why couldn't luck and fate just give her a break after all she had been through?

They reached the door and the large man turned the knob, opening it. JJ strained her neck, looking down the hall once more to see Spencer land another blow on Tony. She reached out and applied a death grip to the door frame with her good hand as the large man tried to push her inside the room.

"Spence!" She cried out, not seeing any other option.

She watched, hopefully, as he looked up but then appeared to freeze in alarm for just a half a second. Their eyes were locked together, entranced. Suddenly movement from Spencer's right distracted JJ enough for her to take her eyes off his. She was horrified to watch as Tony swung a large, desperate, fist from his position on the floor, under cutting Spencer underneath his jaw.

"Spence! No!" JJ screamed in sheer terror, watching as he appeared to fall limply to the ground just before she was forced into the room, the door shutting behind her.

**AN: Yeah I did it again, I left it at another cliffhanger. Sorry! This is the last time, I promise! I couldn't make it overly easy for them now could I? Don't worry, there is a method to my madness! We are almost at the end believe it or not. New chapter Wednesday. Thanks!**


	38. Reunited

**AN: Thank you to Arwennicole, LaRieNGuBleR, crazyobsession101, gohan108, langely, and Wren Calhoun for reviewing the last chapter. I've run out of words to say about you guys, but thank you all for the feedback and the kind words. You're awesome! **

**This chapter is the one I'm sure you've all been waiting for! I built up to this point so much, that I figure it's probably impossible to meet your expectations, but hopefully it is enjoyable all the same! This chapter was challenging to write because of all of the characters and angles I created throughout the story, and the fact that I'm trying to cover everything I introduced and wrap it all up nicely. All feedback is welcome as always. Warnings as usual for violence, language, etc.**

Hotchner and Rossi made it swiftly up the staircase. They were both mildly surprised to find their trip up the steps to be unconfrontational.

The area was quiet, desolate. At the top of the staircase, they found themselves at one end of a long hallway. The hallway was dark, the few rooms off to the side empty as they passed, all leading to the lit room at the very end of the hallway. The lit room with the door swung open almost haphazardly.

Both men preceded with caution, having found their trek so far to be safe, the people who had been calling the quarters home long gone. Carefully, both men took up a side of the doorway. Hotchner took the lead, peering in as Rossi provided him with cover as best he could. Hotchner took a couple of quick steps into the room, gun raised, with Rossi following close behind.

At first glance the room appeared empty just like the others, but both men had been around long enough to not take that for granted. They took turns checking the closets; one containing men's clothes, the other women's, but both empty. They checked the door off to the side, a bathroom. They moved quickly across the room to the other door, a small kitchen, also empty. The room was clear, it was officially safe.

While the two men didn't want to waste too much time, especially with an increasingly volatile situation downstairs and the still prevalent fact that they hadn't located their missing team members, both men took a quick moment to take in the room. It was large and swanky, especially compared to the other smaller rooms they had briefly seen so far. There was also something about how the room was set up, the fact that while it seemed warm and inviting, it didn't quite feel _normal_. Everything in the room was meticulously placed. The room lacked clutter. Everything seemed to be almost bolted down in place.

When something caught Rossi's eye, causing him to walk over to the bed, Hotchner couldn't help but to follow, his own curiosity getting the best of him. He watched as his friend reached his hand out slowly, sticking out his index finger and running it against the scuffed wood along the nearest bed post at the bed's headboard. A wave of sickness hit Hotchner as he quickly realized the implication of what the mark meant.

Rossi removed his hand, turning back to meet Hotchner's eyes. They both had come to the same conclusion; this was the room where JJ had been held captive for the last four days. They were right in the middle of what had been her personal hell.

While in a sense it was almost tempting to keep exploring, to gather any and all evidence necessary, the idea in of itself was rather sickening. It brought images to the minds of both men that they would rather not think about. Because if they did, then she would become another member of a long list of victims that already haunted their nightmares. And no matter what happened to JJ, no matter what she had been through, she was still _their_ teammate. She was _not _a victim.

Hotchner took a deep breath, knowing at some point he would have to deal with the implications of what had happened on his own time. But right now was not that time. Clearing his throat he turned to Rossi.

"Come on Dave, let's go." He said softly, leading the way out of the room and back towards the staircase.

/

Morgan and Prentiss had continued through the halls, driving deeper and deeper into the interior of the compound.

It was starting to become a mentally exhausting endeavor. Every turn onto a new hallway brought added stress when faced with the unexpected fear of the unknown that could be waiting for them on the other side. The halls themselves were so generic, so similar, that it seemed like some sort of sick mental maze that could test even the strongest person's sanity if they weren't a member of the colony.

The only positive they had found so far was that most of the people they found weren't confrontational. They gave themselves over easily, they were compliant, non-threatening. Many, especially the women and children, seemed more frightened and on edge than the agents currently were. The fact that armed government officials had busted through the compound and were now raiding what they had believed to be a safe little cocoon, acted like a cold splash of water to the face, a shock to the system.

The SWAT team behind Morgan and Prentiss was expertly rounding up each person they encountered, removing any potential threat while the agents pressed forward quickly; knowing all too well that time was of the essence. Rounding another corner, Morgan and Prentiss encountered their first armed colony members since the gun fight in the main lobby. Immediately, both agents froze and took aim.

"FBI drop the weapons." Morgan answered firmly, one of the men square in his sights.

When both men failed to heed the warning, they both were treated to disarming flesh wounds. Their guns kicked away from them as they writhed on the floor, the agents continuing on undeterred.

A door suddenly opened to Emily's right. She whipped around quickly, startled that the door had opened just before she had reached it. Out stepped a man, one who was part of the familiar three who they had identified as having a role in JJ's abduction. Standing behind him, farther into the room, was a blonde woman and two young children. The man was Cal Stevenson.

"Cal Stevenson get down on your knees and put your hands up where I can see them!" Morgan ordered without a beat as Emily backed up and regrouped so that she was out of harm's way, giving herself a better angle to react if needed.

Cal looked stunned, as if the presence of the two FBI agents and the other law enforcement agents behind them had been the last thing he had expected to find on the other side of his door. He remained standing there, dumbfounded, as Morgan took a couple steps closer.

"I said get down!" Morgan ordered threateningly.

Cal seemed to consider his options, knowing he was vastly outnumbered and unarmed. Slowly, he sank towards the ground, knowing he had no other choice but to hand himself over. He knew he was likely going to jail, but that had always been inevitable in his mind; an unfortunate result of some of his actions. It wasn't worth his life to fight them; he had too much to lose unlike guys like Tony. At least Cal still had a wonderful wife and two young kids.

Cal dropped to his knees and slowly brought his hands up, although his pace was way too slow for Morgan's liking. Holstering his gun, he balled his fist and punched the man in his face.

"No!" The woman screamed from behind the door as one of her kids began to cry.

"That's for kidnapping JJ you son of a bitch." Morgan spat as he forced the man face-down to the ground.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cal huffed, gritting his teeth as the agent yanked his arms behind his back roughly and applied the handcuffs to his wrists a little too tightly.

"Save it. We have you on tape. You're going to jail for a while Cal and to me you're lucky. If I had my way, that wouldn't even be an option after what you put her through."

"You have me mistaken with someone else." Cal replied, taunting the agent by smiling as he was lifted to his feet.

"I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut. But I guess you're too dumb for that now aren't you? After all you were the one who essentially led us to finding this place." Morgan replied, glaring darkly at the man.

"You think you know me, but you don't." Cal replied.

"Oh, I know all about you Cal. And while you may think you had next to nothing to do with this, you are sadly mistaken. You're just lucky I don't let JJ take a go at you before you're sent to jail for a _very_ long time. Keep talking and maybe that'll change." Morgan threatened.

Cal glared back, trying his hardest to look tough and imposing but failing rather miserably. The man was flat out pathetic in Morgan's mind.

"Get him out of here, he's wasting our time." Morgan told a young officer as he pushed Cal towards the man.

The group watched briefly as Cal was led away, out of sight. Turning back to the open door, Emily motioned at the woman to step out with her two kids. The woman seemed to hesitate just a little at first, but then encouraged her kids to come with her. Stepping into the hallway, the woman turned to Emily.

"My name's Kelly. I know JJ…she promised me that you would protect us…" Kelly said quietly.

The words took Emily aback a little, as did the sincerity in the woman's voice.

"You know JJ? Where is she?" Emily asked urgently.

"I'm…I'm not sure. She escaped from Tony and I ran into her. I…I let her stay here and hide for a moment while Tony ran by…I told her how to get out of here but if you haven't found her yet…then I guess she didn't make it out." Kelly said sadly, the words sounding rather ominous to both Morgan and Prentiss. They exchanged looks, both sighing audibly as they realized that while they were getting closer, JJ could still be anywhere and she could be in some serious trouble.

"What's…what's going to happen to us?" Kelly broke in, asking fearfully. Emily forced herself to smile as best she could as she met the woman's eyes.

"I'm going to have one of these nice officers take you outside, away from the action so that you are safe and so that no one gets hurt. We'll sort this all out after." Emily explained.

Kelly still had a fearful look in her eye and she flinched as the officer Emily had pointed out to her approached.

"It'll be ok, I promise. You can't stay here right now, it's too dangerous." Emily explained as she read the woman's genuine fear.

Finally, with some coaxing, Kelly left willingly with her two young children.

The situation dissolved, Morgan knew they had to hurry, that too much time was passing without word on Reid or JJ. If either was in trouble, he knew they would only be able to hold on for so long.

"Let's keep moving." He directed firmly.

/

JJ gasped as she was thrust against the nearest wall by the large, strong man. He pinned her against it as she tried to break free, his large hand pressed to her midsection keeping her from going anywhere.

"Relax, relax." The booming voice said in an almost soothing manner, taking another step closer into her personal space.

"What do you want? Who are you?" JJ said, still wriggling beneath the man's grasp desperately.

She needed to get out of here. She needed to get away from this man. This man, who held a _very _big size advantage over her even on a good day when she felt at her strongest, not to mention a day like today where she was running only on fumes and adrenaline. Spence needed her. Oh God, did Spence need her. He could be dying right now and here she was with this man, unable to get to him, to help him when he needed her most. She _had _to get to Spence.

JJ jolted her body against the wall, trying her damndest to create some sort of momentum that would allow her to break free from this man.

"You need to calm down if we're going to talk." He told her simply, his eyes bearing into hers as he watched her struggle.

When JJ realized she wasn't getting anywhere besides tiring herself out, she stopped her struggling. The man lifted his expectant gaze and smiled once she had complied.

"My name, Agent Jareau, is Paul. Although, we have been briefly acquainted before as you may or may not remember." Paul began.

JJ paused, a quizzical look in her eye as she tried to think to what the man was getting at. The only time she remembered seeing him was when he was leering at her during the ceremony. She couldn't think of any other encounters.

Paul could read her eyes and knew she was stumped. He decided to give the petite woman a clue. Closing the space between them, he brought his body to hers, using it to press her further against the wall.

JJ whimpered as he removed his hand from her midsection and brought it up to her bruised cheek. Stroking it lightly, admiring her beauty even in her current state, Paul spoke softly, his mouth near her ear as JJ tried desperately to flinch away.

"Remember what I told you? Remember I told you to 'just relax'. That everything would be ok if you just behaved? Remember…I'm a friend, a friend of a man who was just dying to meet you…" Paul whispered slowly in his deep baritone voice.

JJ closed her eyes as he pushed some of the tangled, matted hair from her face. A flashback hit her in full force.

_Suddenly she was face-down in the gravel, a large man on top of her whispering encouragingly to her as he touched her gently, the cold air hitting her skin on that dark, empty night. She looked over dully as her body relaxed, seeing Brewer bleeding and unconscious not far from where she lay. Internally she was panicking, desperate to get the man away from her, but externally she could do nothing, her body wouldn't cooperate as a result of the drug she had been administered. _

"Or maybe…_beautiful_…you remember when I did this…" Paul continued, taking his hand and sliding it underneath her shirt, stroking her belly.

JJ shifted, trying, but not succeeding in making him stop.

"Do you feel this?" He taunted, mimicking the question he had asked her that night in the car when she had awoken too soon from her drug-induced slumber.

JJ gritted her teeth. She tried to bring her knee up to see if he would feel something too, but his body was suffocating hers. He left no room for her to move. Paul's hand had almost reached her chest when JJ responded desperately.

"Yes! Yes I feel it, and I remember. You've made your point." She grinded out, forcing herself to open her eyes and meet his confidently, praying it would be enough to make him stop.

It worked, as Paul smiled a little, taking a step back and removing his hand from under her shirt.

"Good." He said with a sickening grin.

"What do you want?" JJ spat out, glaring angrily at the man.

Paul chuckled, moving closer to her once again.

"Trust me, it's quite simple. And it's not what you think it is either." He punctuated his statement by taking a long, appraising look over her body.

"Are you going to tell me or are you going to make me guess? My team should be here any minute so whatever it is you think you're going to do you better do it quick." JJ replied boldly, her disgust for the man overwhelming any fear she had of him. She had to get to Spence; she didn't have time for these games.

"What I want…Agent Jareau…is _immunity_." Paul replied after a lengthy pause.

"Immunity? You're not serious?" JJ scoffed, incredulous that this man could expect such a thing. Especially, given the situation he was in.

Granted he had her at a disadvantage, but JJ had no doubt her team couldn't be far by now. There was no way he would be able to outlast them. And there was no way her team would willingly give it to him either. The man before her was desperate, he had to be.

"I am very serious Agent Jareau." Paul said flatly.

"And what makes you think I would ever agree to such a thing, especially considering _you _were the one who kidnapped me?" JJ spat fiercely at him.

"Because…your boyfriend Spencer already agreed to give it to me, on condition that I led him to you. Task completed, right? However you see the problem is I need all of us to be on the same page, especially with him getting his ass kicked out there right now. I need you to agree to this too, or else I end up screwed." Paul explained.

JJ eyed the man hatefully. She couldn't believe he actually thought he could get out of this free, without repercussions, especially after everything she had been put through, in part, because of his actions.

"I'd decide quick Agent Jareau; the longer it takes us to come to an agreement, the less likely your boyfriend is to survive out there with Tony. He's put up an admirable fight I must say, but you know Tony is too strong for him. He will break down eventually. You can save his life, just give me what I want." Paul said firmly, his voice raising another octave as he tried to pressure her into making the agreement.

"Fine. You win. You get your immunity now let me go!" JJ ordered, resuming her wriggling against the wall. She hated herself for it, but right now she would take any deal if it led her to Spencer. She just needed to get away from this man; the rest could work itself out later.

"You're serious? I have your word that you _will _give me immunity when this is over?" Paul asked, bringing his hand up and cupping JJ's jaw, stilling her movements once more.

"Yes." JJ practically slurred out as he gripped her jaw. "Now get your disgusting hands off of me!" She spat, glaring at him.

She watched as Paul seemed to consider something. Suddenly he forced his head forward, his lips almost touching hers.

"You know it's a shame, you really are pretty. It's too bad Tony had to get to you first, because I would've treated you _very_ well, beautiful. I wouldn't have put you through the hell I'm sure he put you through. Tony doesn't know how to treat women, I do." Paul smiled, his hand trailing from JJ's jaw down to her neck.

"Get away from me!" JJ yelled at him, her voice echoing throughout the room.

Paul chuckled, letting go of her once he felt his threat had been sufficiently made.

"Don't worry, as much as it's a shame I didn't get to have you, I _don't_ dip into something Tony's already had. I despise the man too much. He's nothing but a demented, fake, piece of shit." Paul spat, the thought of Tony clearly enraging him.

Pulling away, he gave JJ space, finally letting her move from the wall. JJ eyed him warningly, telling him if he did try to make a move on her that she would be more than ready. Paul simply smirked at her threatening look.

"Come on, let's go help your boyfriend." Paul motioned towards the door, just as a loud bang erupted from outside in the hallway.

/

Spencer fell to the ground in a heap, his body collapsing in on itself in response to the devastating punch her received from Tony.

He blinked furiously in an attempt to stay conscious as the world around him began to grow dark. He had been so close, _so close_, to defeating Tony and becoming reunited with JJ. He had been so close to reaching his goal, to ending this. But now he found himself on the floor, in immense pain and overwhelmingly exhausted, as JJ's screams echoed in his ears.

He had been so close to saving her, to being her hero, the hero she deserved. But Paul had tricked him and now he had JJ in the other room, leading her away from him instead of towards him. The sight of her, the realization that he had been tricked, had been enough to give Tony one last opening to strike. And strike he had. Now, all but defeated, all Spencer could taste was blood in his mouth, blood as it dripped out of his mouth and onto the floor. Blood, as it slowly seeped from his body as Tony staggered to his feet, looming threateningly over the FBI agent.

Spencer could feel the man's shadow encroach upon him. He knew whatever came next wouldn't be good. He tried his hardest to stifle a groan as he was roughly yanked to his feet by his throbbing arm. He barely had time to react as he was flung across the hallway and hard into the opposite wall. He was unable to protect himself from the kick that followed to his rib cage, sinking him down to his knees. His arm was grabbed again, the edges of his world fading in and out as he was thrown back across the hall and through a door, splintering it.

Tony was saying things, hollering, cursing, but Spencer couldn't make out what he was saying. He only caught the occasional words or phrase. This about how he was going to die a slow and painful death, or that about the things Tony was going to do to JJ as an act of revenge. By the time Spencer had blinked again, barely regaining even some of his wits, he realized he was surrounded by wood splinters and that his back was on fire.

He turned his head slowly, painfully, towards where Tony stood. He watched fearfully as seemingly in slow motion, Tony dug into his pocket and retrieved a pocket knife.

A wide grin filled Tony's face, a grin so big that it showed his bloody teeth, making him look that much more menacing as he approached with the knife. Spencer tried to push himself up, enough so that he could at least try to crawl away, but his arm gave out.

"You look so pathetic. To think you're an FBI agent. Jennifer's ten times stronger than you are." Tony spat as he reached Spencer, kicking his feet for effect.

Spencer blinked furiously, his eyes widening as much as they could as Tony crouched down beside him. This was how it was all going to end. He was going to be carved up slowly and painfully, passing away only after the blood had slowly drained from his body. A slow and torturous death if ever there was one.

Spencer took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for the first time the blade came in contact with his skin. The wait was torture in itself, it seemed to take forever. Then, just when Spencer knew the blade was going to touch him, he heard Tony let out a surprised gasp. It was a strange sound, almost as if a balloon was being deflated.

About half an instant after that, Spencer registered the familiar crack of a gun. Curiosity, no hope, got the best of him and Spencer forced his eyes open just as he felt the rush of air of something pass by his hand and then clatter as it hit the floor.

His eyes immediately found Tony, watching as he staggered, clutching at his shoulder as blood seeped from between his fingers.

Spencer turned quickly to the side, finding the object that had barely missed hitting his hand, the knife.

He crawled his fingers towards it, his fingers finding and grasping the handle as Tony continued to pace and curse in the direction where the bullet had been fired from. As he slowly sat up, internally groaning as every inch of bone and muscle protested inside of him, begging him to stop moving, he followed to where Tony was shouting.

Spencer's heart soared as he saw Morgan and Prentiss standing at the other end of the hall, guns drawn, with members of a SWAT team right behind them. Spencer noted that Emily's gun was smoking; she had been the one to fire the shot that may have just saved his life. He would have to be sure to thank her later.

Spencer slowly climbed to his feet, feeling as if he were a toddler trying to walk for the first time. He was happy to find that Tony was still too distracted to notice, too enraged from having been shot, from finding that the grand world he had created for himself was slowly crumbling to dust.

Spencer had made it shakily to his feet, his legs wobbling. Someone in the group must have tipped Tony off inadvertently as in that moment, the man turned around. Seeing Spencer behind him, still alive, Tony saw red. Throwing all logic by the wayside, he charged furiously at Spencer.

Morgan watched in horror as the moment unfolded.

"Don't shoot! Wait for a clear shot!" He shouted desperately as Tony made contact with Spencer.

Morgan felt helpless, knowing that if they shot at that moment, Spencer could inadvertently get hit instead, or, a bullet could tear through both men.

Spencer grunted as Tony's body contacted his, hitting him almost like a football player. He felt his feet leave the ground as the force of the hit shook through his body. Desperately, in the back of his mind, he ordered his hand to turn and aim straight. As his body fell back, floating in air, he felt the knife in his hand make piercing contact. Spencer heard Tony gasp and let out a pained groan right before his back hit the hardwood floor and he did the same.

A heavy weight fell on top of him and Spencer had no choice but to let go of the knife to keep his wrist from breaking. He lay there on his back for a moment, his body throbbing but the world around him strangely calm and serene for a moment. The only thing he could hear was his own breathing, shakily inhaling and exhaling. Suddenly he heard his name, but it sounded distant.

"Reid! Reid!" The male voice was shouting, soon followed in unison by a female voice.

All Spencer could see was the white ceiling above him, straight ahead. It wasn't until the faces leaned over him and came into view that he was able to put the sounds of the voices with the faces.

"Reid?! Are you ok? We need a medic!" Morgan turned and shouted.

Spencer felt the weight lifted from him as the man on top of him was rolled off. With the weight gone, Spencer was able to somewhat take stock of his body; shocked to find that no further noticeable harm had come to him.

"I'm fine…I'm fine…Morgan, I'm fine." He whispered quietly, almost deliriously. He moved to sit up, but was immediately met with resistance in the form of hands pushing him back down.

"Stay calm, Reid you're going to be ok." Emily consoled him.

"I'm fine…really…please…help me up." He insisted, his voice slowly gaining intensity.

Morgan and Prentiss exchanged glances, before warily agreeing. Morgan looked over his shoulder, still no sight of the medics or Hotch and Rossi.

Emily wrapped Reid's arm around her shoulders and carefully helped him to his feet slowly. As he rose, Spencer looked back to the ground. His eyes found Tony lying still on the ground. His eyes glanced over the man, noticing how his once dark eyes had become glazed over and distant, they were unseeing. Looking lower, Spencer found the knife, the knife that was currently protruding from Tony's chest right where his heart was.

Spencer blinked furiously, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight. He couldn't believe it. He had done it. It hadn't seemed possible. In fact the odds were so slim…it was a miracle shot. Spencer was sure if he were to be made to relive this moment a hundred times over, he would not successfully deliver a kill shot with such a small knife under those circumstances. He truly was blessed. Now he just had to get to JJ and…

'_JJ!' _

"Morgan…Morgan…where's Jay…" Spencer began, but just as he did the door she had been forced through opened.

He watched in a daze as JJ stepped out, a hand firmly on her shoulder, as Paul followed closely behind. JJ immediately looked right at them, right at _him_.

Spencer watched as her eyes grew wider, as if in that moment some form of relief had washed over her. He watched as she shifted her eyes from him over to Morgan, who was quickly raising his gun and taking aim at Paul. Spencer could see her mind racing, see how she was calculating.

"Morgan! It's a trap!" She shouted suddenly, at the top of her lungs.

Spencer watched as JJ tore herself from Paul's grip and lunged out of the way. Spencer looked to Paul, watching his mouth open in stunned reaction. He looked like a deer caught in a pair of headlights. Spencer could see the realization hit Paul that it was JJ who had just set him up, she had played _him_.

Paul moved to raise his hand, tried to voice his defense, but he didn't have a chance. JJ's words were all the influence Morgan needed to fire his gun, just as Hotchner and Rossi came into view, their own guns raised and ready to fire.

Spencer wanted to look away as the bullets tore through Paul's massive frame, but he couldn't. He watched as Paul finally collapsed to the floor, the flurry of bullets finally becoming too much for his body to overcome. He landed face down on the floor, dead, in a weird scene that seemed to bring some finality to the entire ordeal.

Spencer watched as JJ climbed to her feet, gasping for breath. She didn't even take a second glance in Paul's direction as she walked towards him.

Out of instinct, Spencer moved to meet her. He was stopped by Emily, who used her hand to tell him to stand still so that he could maintain his shaky balance until JJ arrived. It only took a few seconds until she reached him and their bodies met, but to Spencer it felt forever.

When their bodies finally made contact, they collapsed into each other's arms in a tight, loving embrace. Gently, Emily unhooked his arm from her and stepped away, giving Spencer and JJ some space to reaffirm their love for each other.

They hugged and hugged, neither wanting to let the other go ever again, both relieved that it was truly over, that they could go home and put this behind them, that they would still have a chance at having a life together. It hadn't been stolen from them.

Spencer felt joy fill his heart as he felt the familiar warm heat radiating from JJ's body. He felt her shift, moving her face from his neck to his cheek in order to place a soft kiss to it. He turned to look at her, but he saw her gaze had already moved to the side. He didn't need to turn around to know where she was looking. Finally, he gently placed a finger to her chin and turned her bruised face back towards him.

"He's gone JJ." Spencer reassured her. He watched as her eyes lightened a little and a thin smile graced her lips.

"I know, I know." She whispered, almost as if she were trying to make herself believe the reality of this fact. Shifting, she gave him another firm hug.

"My hero. I love you Spence." She whispered into his ear.

Spencer couldn't hide the smile her words brought to his face, he was beaming.

"I think we should get you both to the hospital." Emily interjected cautiously after another moment.

Spencer and JJ broke off their hug and for the first time JJ realized that the whole team was there with them. She remained next to Spencer, helping to support his weight much as Emily had been as she looked from one teammate to the next.

She met each person's eyes and nodded silently, letting them know that she was ok. She knew they were worried about her, that there would be questions to ask, and stories to give about her ordeal, but that was for another time. Now, she just wanted to get out of this nightmarish place and go home. Meeting Emily's eyes one more time, she nodded her agreement that it was time to go to the hospital.

Slowly, she limped with Spencer down the hall. They used each other's weight to help stay upright as they moved, both stubbornly refusing help, and also refusing to let go of the other for even a moment. It felt like they had already been away from each other for an eternity. They weren't about to let that happen ever again.

**AN: Well there it is. We have one more chapter and an epilogue to go. I'm not going to dwell too much on the recovery (although I'm not going to ignore it either), as the focus was on the meat of the case and the challenges the characters faced. I don't want to become too bland or repetitive and have a long, drawn-out recovery period like some stories. As one very kind reviewer put it, I'm trying to make this read more like an episode of CM, and as we know they don't always go in depth with the recovery after the characters go through a traumatic event. There will be some healing though, starting next Wednesday!**


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